Author: busong

(Picture) The prostration pilgrimage group bowing toward Jogyesa Temple at the main gate

Disregarding the rain, a group composed of religious leaders led a pilgrimage group doing prostrations for world peace through contrition and self-introspection. They arrived at Jogyesa Temple for a Dharma service for human beings, life, and peace. Ven. Sukyung, a Buddhist monk, and two Catholic priests led a group doing prostrations from Seoul City Hall to Jogyesa Temple .

The reason for the Dharma Service was so that citizens could engage in self-introspection about the current poor condition of society, to see if we have contributed to the environmental and economic crises. It was concluded that if we do not change our behavior, we would face a crisis beyond repair. “Let us find the path of humans, path of life, and the path of peace toward happiness with a determined heart.”

Ven. Cheonghwa, former Jogye Order Director of the Bureau of Education said, “Usually, people convey their message through speech, but it is possible to convey a message through bodily actions. The prostrations of these religious leaders convey to the Korean government and society the message of finding the path of humans, the path of life, and the path of peace.” Ven. Cheonghwa also recited a poem called “prostrations.”

The aspiration prayer read, “Please grant your blessings that we could create a pure land, which respects life, peace, and the law of cause and effect. May we create a society where nature and man live in harmony.”

In addition, the prostration pilgrimage group began another journey. They prostrate all the way from Jogyesa Temple on May 22 to arrive at Imjingak Manbadan in Kyungi Province on June 6.

(Picture) Ven. Sukyung, Father Mun Kyu-hyun, and Father Jeon Jong-hun on the prostration pilgrimage to a Dharma Service at Jogyesa Temple

<photo>Kang Hoh-shik, director of the Buddhist English Library of Seoul (BELS), talks to The Korea Times during an interview Tuesday. The library celebrated its second birthday last Sunday and Kang is inviting both believers and non-believers to pay a visit. / Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul
People no longer have to visit temples hidden among serene mountaintops to learn about the Buddhist faith. Just across from the Jogye Temple, the headquarters of the biggest Jogye Order in Korea, there is a small, yet lively library called the Buddhist English Library of Seoul (BELS). Here, you can learn, read and talk about the religion at any time.

The library celebrated its second birthday last Sunday, but director Kang Hoh-shik admitted that they have a long way to go.

“Many people stress the importance of the globalization of Korean Buddhism, but that’s just talk. We are not prepared for such a trend yet, and that is why we started the library,” he said Tuesday as The Korea Times visited the library.

BELS opened in May 2007 to offer a venue where foreign monks, Zen masters and Buddhists, both local and foreign, could get together, share their studies and learn about the religion in depth with special lectures and events.

Although the world recognizes Tibetan and Indian Buddhism more than Korean, experts and believers abroad have recognized the unique culture and teachings of Korean Buddhism, which stresses meditation.

“In order to bring Korean Buddhism to the next level, especially abroad, it is important to speak foreign languages, especially English. One of the best ways is to teach people who can speak English and who are interested in the religion. Who knows? They may find it interesting and inspiring, and travel back to their homes and talk about or teach the religion,” Kang said.

That is what is happening in Hungary with Ven. Chong An. After starting to practice Zen amid unresolved issues in his life at the age of 24, Ven. Chong An trained under Korean Zen master Seung Sahn, and returned to Hungary to teach Korean Buddhism. Eager to take the teachings to the next level, he secured land for the Won Kwang Sa (Wonkwang Temple) and joined more than 40 other people for a winter retreat there.

“It’s going to be the main hub of Korean Buddhism in Europe. This has become an inspiration for everyone and we realized once again the importance of operating a place where believers and monks alike can visit whenever they want to, meet Korean Buddhists regularly and interact with them,” he added.

The library not only offers more than 2,000 books about the religion, but also holds special lectures by respected Zen masters.

“The library itself is operated by donations from members and believers. Many people have donated interesting books for us to share with others and we are open to any type of support, from volunteer work, books and financial assistance to even just joining the classes and lectures,” he said.

There are four basic classes offered to visitors. The English Lecture offers the theme “How to Practice Samantha” every Saturday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Meditation classes teach visitors “Tibetan Meditation” every Wednesday at 7 p.m., while group study sessions offer visitors the chance to get together and talk about the Buddhist faith, in particular “Theravada Buddhism,” every Friday at 6 p.m.

“All of these classes are carried out in English. Even if you’re not a believer, come and just try to feel the meaning of Buddhism,” said Kang.

The library also offers classes for children that provide practice in English and help to learn more about the religion.

“Most of the kids are brought here by their parents, some even against their will. But it’s great for them to learn to meditate from a young age,” he said with a smile.

English Library Seeks Globalization of Buddhism

The library is gearing up for more projects, with the most important to find a real home for visiting Zen masters and students.

“We have about 80 members who support us regularly and we hope the number increases, despite the recession. The biggest goal for us now would be finding a bigger place, complete with lodging facilities, bigger classrooms and a better-equipped library,” Kang said.

“Studying with consistency is important. Meditating and ascetic exercises are not a one-time lesson, and in order to make this work we will continue to welcome visitors with open arms.”

The lectures are free and you can join in after checking the time posted on the BELS Web site (www.bels.kr). The library has prepared a special lecture conducted by Ven. Chong An, which is to be held on May 9, 16 and 23. The fee is 50,000 won. Books can be borrowed for 2,000 won each, or for free by becoming a library member.

For more information, visit the Web site or call (02) 730-0173. The library is located near Anguk Station (subway line 3) exit 6.

What are the strong points of Korean Buddhism and culture that we should know about and are valuable to people from other countries and different cultures?

Recently we had a grand Buddha’s Birthday celebration here in Seoul and many people gathered for the parade from Dongdaemun Stadium to Jogye Temple. There were Buddhists from many different groups in the country including the Cheontaejong (Cheontae order), Jogyejong (Jogye order), and also other groups such as the Taegojong (Taego order) and Hanmaum Seon Center. Although these groups have different leaders, different philosophies, etc., on Buddha’s Birthday, they all become one.

Foreign Buddhist monks and nuns from America, Russia, Israel, Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Poland participated eagerly and were walking together on the streets of Seoul, carrying a simple lotus lantern or flag showing their country’s colors.

Although the people of this world have many differences in government and culture, when they practice meditation correctly together they can easily become one.

The lotus lantern represents our sincere aspiration to rise up out of the mud of delusion and become a bright light that can shine to all people who are suffering.The lotus lantern also represents perfect awareness and the awakened mind.

The lotus lanterns are unique to Korean culture; they cannot be found in Chinese or Japanese Buddhism. One of my Dharma sisters in Hong Kong likes these Korean lanterns so much that she imports them every year to Hong Kong for the people there to enjoy.

Many Korean people take their culture for granted and forget that Oriental culture has much to offer the people of this world. In this age of computers and the Internet, it is easy to overlook which has been valuable to many generations before electricity and telecommunications became so widespread.

We live in a very material world and believe that our happiness depends only on material gain. Before I came to Korea, I studied organic chemistry as an undergraduate. I was very interested in understanding the chemistry of the brain and how it affected our consciousness. Soon after I did not want to eat any food that had extra chemicals in them because I thought that they would affect my brain. So, I ate only natural food that had no chemicals.

But, I still had a problem because even though my body felt pure and good, my discriminating mind was always watching other people who ate these food. Finally, I understood that chemical or natural food was not the point; mind food, or Dharma food is important. What is Dharma food? While practicing meditation one sincerely asks, “What am I?” and doesn’t pretend to know everything about who one is. This “don’t know” mind is a precursor to arriving at a greater awakening or enlightenment. This is a way to remove all delusions, attain truth, and help others find happiness.

Long ago in China there was a famous student of Zen Master Majo named Hanong. Everyone said to him, “You are lucky, you are happy.” Then he said, “What is luck? What is happiness?” He always spoke like this.

He had a good horse, which he liked to ride every day. One day the horse disappeared, so everyone said, “Oh, are you unhappy? Are you sad?” He said, “What is sadness? What is happiness?” No feelings. His horse ran away, but he only said, “What is sadness? What is happiness?” Everyone said, “This man has no feelings.” Usually, if someone is attached to something and it goes away, then he is very sad. But Hanong only said, “What is sadness? What is happiness?”

A week later Hanong got a new horse, a very good horse; we say, Junma. This means it only has to see the shadow of the whip and it runs. This was a very clever horse. So everyone said, “You are happy. You are lucky.” He said, “What is luck? What is happiness?” Only this. No feelings. Then everybody said, “This man is very lucky.” His son liked the horse and rode it every day. He only had to mount the horse and it would go, so he rode around and around, very happy. Then one day while riding, he fell and broke his leg. So everyone said, “Ah, I am sorry your son broke his leg. Are you sad?” He said, “What is sadness? What is happiness?” No feelings.

Soon after this, there were many wars, with North China and South China fighting each other. All the young people had to go to the army. But Hanong’s son had a broken leg, so he could not go; he stayed at home and helped his parents. His leg was not so bad, so he could work in the garden and help them with their chores.

Everybody said, “You are lucky. You are happy.” So he said, “What is luck? What is happiness?” This is Hanong’s style of speech – “What is sadness? What is happiness?” In any situation, his mind was not moving, still and clear. He did not presume to understand everything, and he always kept his mind clear. This is very wonderful.

Who was Shakyamuni Buddha? He did not understand any Hanja or Chinese characters because he was living in India. But nowadays many people believe that the only way that you can study Buddhism is to memorize many Chinese characters. This is a common mistake.

Shakyamuni Buddha was born as a Prince in ancient Northern India and was said to be lacking nothing in his youth. Also known as Sidhartha Guatama, following the Shakya tradition, when his mother Queen Maya fell pregnant, she returned to her father’s kingdom to give birth, but after leaving Kapilvastu, she gave birth along the way at Lumbini in a garden beneath a sal tree. A few days or a week after his birth, his mother was said to have died.

Destined to a luxurious life as a prince, Siddhartha had three palaces (one for each season) especially built for him. His father, King Uddhodana, wishing for Siddhartha to be a great king, shielded his son from any religious teachings or knowledge of human suffering. Siddhartha was brought up by his mother’s younger sister, Maha Pajapati.

As the boy reached the age of 16, his father arranged his marriage to Ya?odhar?, a cousin of the same age. In time, she gave birth to a son called Rahula. Siddhartha spent 29 years as a Prince, and his father ensured that he was provided with everything he could want or need. Despite this, the young Prince was not content just to be materially satisfied and he left his palace in search of a greater truth. By leaving his family behind, he caused much worry and anguish for his father and fellow country men.

Even though he initially caused them some suffering, the truth that he discovered was so great that people praise him for this and still celebrate his birthday today with so much enthusiasm.

The truth that the Buddha discovered has many different faces but only one function. That one function is to set one free from any dependence. This truth is universal and not dependent on any one culture or country.

At Buseok Temple in Seosan, South Chungcheong province, four children live with their father, the temple’s head priest Jugyeong (45). Since the youngest, who’s now in fifth grade of elementary school, first came to the temple at age 5, the family grew larger one by one to four children now. It’s been seven years since the priest has been taking care of local children who aren’t able to live with their parents due to divorce or other reasons.

Talented in Writing

After graduating from university, Jugyeong joined the priesthood at Sudeok Temple in 1986. He recently published his first book “I also want to cry at times,” a biography of his 23 years of his Buddhist life and a collection of essays he contributed to various outlets over the years. Ever since writing the series ‘Like water like wind’ in the monthly magazine Bulgwang in 1993, he has become famous for his talent in writing.

In the book, he changed the title of one of his old pieces of writing ‘A rod to my child’ to ‘A father who’s not a father’ and shared his candid stories of raising the four children. The book also includes stories of his disciplinary years in various places, the life of priests in mountain temples, his acquaintances, and other topics.

By 1996 at Sudeok Temple, he was in charge of religious affairs and propagation. At the time, ten or so children were staying at the temple, and it was also his job to look after them. He experienced the same agonies of a parent. At the time, children from dysfunctional families in the countryside were not a concern to the government or any private relief agency. There was no surveying or policy making for the situation of such children. The children of single mothers or broken families were often sent to their grandparents living in rural regions. And most of them never return to their parents. While city slums have group homes to embrace street kids, there’s no such facility in the countryside. The sole exception is the temple.

Thick Blood Ties

Priest Jugyeong felt most distraught when the kids mentioned their families. One time, they ran away from the temple and few were brought back. The priest asked why they ran away and was left speechless at their reply: “We miss mommy.” Until last year, he set aside one day a year for a reunion with parents, but he removed that custom from this year, as the children would be tortured for two weeks after meeting their mothers. The guilt-ridden parents poured out their love and made reckless promises to their children. The rosy promises that were never to come true only bruised the children’s heart in the end. The children spoke less, their faces darkened and only after some two weeks would they return to normal again. So the priest asked the parents not to visit for the time being.

“I also want to cry at times”

He is particularly strict about lies, due to which he even once flogged a child. He said the next day however, that child acted as if nothing had happened the previous day, which made him even angrier. He knows this is because the bruise in his heart hurt more than the bruise made on the child’s backside.

Alongside food, clothes and shelter, the priest also supports the children with the same extracurricular activities their typical friends in the outside world would engage in. But there are many things a temple house can’t do. Temple children mostly have their own parents, some of whom have proper jobs, in which case the child is at a disadvantage. Children with parents can’t receive any social security aid and rather must pay for basic health insurance.

For generations the Shaolin Monks trained and perfected their bodies, minds, and spirits through Chan Action Meditation. From a secluded monastery in China’s Henan province, the monks passed down their knowledge through oral tradition — imbuing each new generation with the rigors of a cherished and sacred art form that mixes Chan philosophy with martial arts technique. Today, we have an opportunity to keep the spirit of Shaolin tradition alive for future generations. The USA Shaolin Temple is holding a capital campaign to build a permanent Temple for all who seek this ancient knowledge.

Currently the Shaolin Temple in China no longer accepts and trains young disciples in Martial arts or Chan Buddhism, as the Temple in China operates today as a heritage site preserving the physical premises for tourism. In general, there exists in China a void as the martial arts training has been split and separated from the Chan Buddhist training. The martial arts education at Chinese Kung Fu schools does not incorporate the Chan Buddhist principles brought to China 1500 years earlier by Bodhidarma. Unless a Shaolin Temple is recreated within Shifu Shi Yan Ming’s lifetime, the knowledge, history, philosophy, and traditions of Shaolin Temple will be lost forever.

The traditions of the Shaolin Temple must be preserved for the future in honor of the generations who passed down this spiritual art form. The Shaolin philosophy can be a profound motivator of peace and inspiration for personal growth to all people. Our goal is to keep this tradition alive, and not something relegated to the annals of history. The deep interest in and spirit of our cause has been demonstrated by the spread of the Shaolin philosophy worldwide and the loving dedication exhibited by the disciples, students, and friends of the Temple each day.

사미율의: the Sramanera Rules and Decorum 사성제(四聖諦) The Four Noble Truth 1) suffering, 2) cause of suffering, 3) cessation, 4) the path of cessation 사천왕: four heavenly kings/supernal Dharma-protector 사천왕문(四天王門) gate of the four Heavenly Kings (Four Guardians) 사판승: monk on the support staff of the monastery/ support monk

사홍서원(四弘誓願) Four Great Vows 1) I vow to save all beings. 2) I vow to end all sufferings. 3) I vow to learn all dharma teachings. 4) I vow to attain Enlightenment. 산신각(山神閣) mountain spirit shrine 삼귀의(三歸依) The Three Refuges. 1) I take refuge in the Buddha 2) I take refuge in the Dharma 3) I take refuge in the Sangha. 삼계(三界) three realms. 1) realm of desire 2) realm of form 3) realm of formlessness 삼독(三毒) three poisons. 1) greed, craving 2) hatred, anger 3) delusion, ignorance

파계(破戒) breaking the precepts. 팔고(八苦) eight sufferings. (Suffering of birth, old age, sickness, death, being apart with the loved ones, together with the despised ones, not getting what want, flourishing of the body.) 팔상도(八相圖) pictures of the eight main events of the Buddha’s life. 팔만대장경(八萬大藏經) Tipitaka Koreana. 팔상전(八相殿) hall of eight pictures

지장보살 : Chijang Bodhisattva is the one who delays his becoming a buddha until enlightenment for the people who suffer in the world.Earth store Bodhisattva. Ksitigarbha관음보살 : Kwanum Bodhisattva is the one who is full of compassion and mercy. Avalokitesvara.He/She listens to the sound of people and comforts the people약사보살 : Yaksa is a healing Bodhisattva who heals and cures the sickness of people. The Medicine Buddha. Bhaisajyaguru대세지보살 : Bodhisattva of power. Bodhisattva shown to the right of Amitabha Buddha. Represents wisdom. Mahasthamaprapta보현보살 : symbolized by the elephant. Samantabhadra. Bodhisattava of Compassionate Action.아미타불 :(s)Amitabha-buddha. Buddha of the Western Paradise.The Buddha of the Light.Buddhism Ceremony성도일 : Buddha’s Enlightenment Day, in Korea held on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month초파일 : Buddha’s birthday부처님오신날 : the day Buddha came사십구제 : Forth-ninth day Ceremony ; the memorial service held on the forty-ninth day after a person’s death

苦: Duhka, bittcrncss 豆? ; unhappiness. suffering, pain, distrcss, miscry; diffcidulty. Thcre are lists of three four, five eight, and tcn catcgorics; the two are intcrnal, i.e. physical and mcntal and external, i.c. attacks from without. The four are birth, growing old illness and death, The eight are these four along with the pain of parting from the loved of meeting with the hated, of failure in one’s aims, and that caused by the fine skand has; cf 四諦苦苦: Duhkha-duhkhata. The pain or painialncss of pain; pain prouduced by miscry or pain; suffering arising from external circumstances, c.g. faminc, storm, sickness forture, etc.苦行: Duskara-carya, undergoing diffculties, hardships, or sufferings; also Tapas, burning torment; hence asceticism rclisious austerity, martifotion.三昧: Ekagra, aikagrya, Undeflected concontraltion, meditation – on, one object, V 一行三昧一乘: Ekayana, One yana, the One yana the vhicle of one-ncss. 一佛乘 The one Buddha – Yana. The One vehiclc, i.e. Mahayana, which contains the final or complete law of the Buddha and not merely a part, or preliminary stage, as in Hinayana Mohayuanists claim it as the perfect and only way to the shore of parinirvana it is especially the doctrine of the 法華經 Lotus Scripture v. 大乘. 11之珠 The pearl of the one, Yana, i.c. The Lotus Scripture. 11圓宗The Tientai, or Lotus School of the perfect teaching, or the one vehide; V. 天台宗.11家. The one-vehide family or sect especially the Tien-tai or Lotus School. 11法(門) The one-vehicle method as revealed in the Lotus Sutra. 究貫敎The One vehicle in its final teaching, especially as found in the Lotus sutra. 11經; 11妙典(or 文) Another name for the Lotus sutra so called because it deelares the one way of salvation the perfact Mahayana. 11菩提 The one-vehicle enlighten ment or 11華嚴 Avatamsaka Schod; v. 五敎一切: Sarva. All, the whole; 普遍, 具一切如來: Sarvatathagata, all Tathafatas, all the Buddhas.一切處: Samanta, Everywhere, universal; a universal dhyana, 無不相應眞言 The shinon or “True word” that responds everywhere.一心: With the whole mind or heart; one mind or heart; also the bhutatathata, or the whole of thins; the universe as one mind or a spiritual unity, 稱名 With undivided mind to call on the name. 三惑; 同? 三惑 The then-t’a “three doubts” in the mind of a bodhisattva, proudcing fear of illusion, confusion through multipicity of duties, and ignorance i.e.. 見思; 無明 q.v. 三智 One mind and three aspects of knowledge the 別敎separates the three aspects into and g.v; Tient’ai unifies them into 空, 假one immediate vision or regards the three as aspects of the one mind.一時: Ekasmin samaye [Pali;ckamsamayam];on one accasion, part of the usual opening phraseof a sutra-Thus have I heard .Once, ctc. A period, e.g.a session of expounding a sutra. 入定: To enter meditation by tranguil lizing the bady, mouth, and mind.身口意 入寂: To enter into rest,or nirvana;also,to die, Also 入滅 or 入寂滅 八正道(分): Aryamarga, The eight right or correct ways the “eightfold noble path for the arhat to nirvana; also styled. 八道船, 八正門, 八由行, 八遊行, 八聖道支, 八道行, 八直行, 八直道, The eight are : (1)正見 samyag-arsti, correct views in regard to the Four Axioms and frecdom from the common delusion, (2)正思 samyak-samkal pa, eorrect thought and purpose (3)正言 samyag-vac, correct speach avoidance of false and idle talk(4)正業 samyak-karmanta, correct dead, or conduct, getting rid of all improper action so as to dwell in purity (5)正命 Samyag ajiva, correct livelihood or occupation, avoiding the five immoral occupations (6)正精進 Samyag-vjajama correct zeal or energy in uninterrupted progreee in the way of nirvana (7)正念 Samyak, smrti, correct remcm brance, or memory, which retains the true and excludes the false (8)正定 Samyak-samadhi, correct meditation, abscortion, or anbstraction.十二因緣: Dvadasang pratityasamutpada; the twelve nadanas; v, 尼 and 因 also; 十二緣起; (有)支; 率連; 棘園; 輪; 重?; 因緣觀; 支佛觀They are the twelve links in the chain of existence; (1)無 vidya, ignorance, or unenlightment (2)行 Samskara action, activirty concotion, “dispositions, keith, (3)識 vijnana, consiousness (4)名色 namarupa name and form (5)六入 i.e. eye ear nose tonguc body, and mind (6)觸 sparsa, contect touch (7)受 vedana, scnsation feeling (8)愛 trsna thirst desire, craving (9)取 upadana laying hold of grasing (10)有 bhava baing existing (11)生 jati birth (12)老死 jaramarana dd age death.十信: The ten grades of bodhisattva faith, i.e. the first ten in the fifty two bodhisattva postions: (1)信 faith (2)念 remembrance, or unforgetfulness (3)精進 zealous progress (4)慧 wisdom (5)定 settled firm nessin concentration (6)不退 non-retrogression (7)護法 protection of the Truth(8)廻向reflexive powers, e.g. for reflecting the Trugh(9)戒 the nirvana mind in(10)願 action at will in anything and everywhere.十號: Ten titles of a Buddha: 如來 Tathag ata; 應供 Arhat 正?知 Samyak-sambuddha明行足 Vidyacorana-sampanna 善逝 sugata, 世間解Lokavid, 無上士Anuttara調御丈夫Purusa-damya-sarathi, 天人師Sasta deva manusyanam 佛世尊 lokamatha, or bhagalon三味: The three flavours or pleasant savours; the monastic life, reading the scriptures meditation三寶: Triratna, or Patnatraya, i.e. the Three precious Ones :佛 Buddha 法Dharma 僧Samgha三毒: The theree poisons also styled 三根; 三株 they are 貧concupiscence or wrong desire, 瞋anger hatc or resentment and 痴stupidity gnorance, unintclligence or unwillingness to accept Buddha-truth三衣: The three regulation harments of a monk 袈裟 kasaya, 僧伽製, samhati assenably robe; uttarasanga, upper garment worn over the 安陀會Antarvasaka, vest or shirt大乘四果: The four fruits or bodhisattva stages in Mahayana the fouth being that of a Buddha: 須陀洹 srota-apnna 사다함 sakrdagamin 阿那含 anagamin and 阿羅漢arhan. This is a 通敎 category.大僧戒: The commands or prohibitions for bodhhisatvas and monks also styled.大導師: The great vuide, i.e. Buddha or a Bodhisattva.大悲: Mahakaruna “great pity” i.e. greatly pitiful a heart that seeks to save the suffering; applied to all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, especially to kuan-yin.大慈: Great mercy, or compassion.大比丘: Great bhinkyu, i.e. one of virtue and old age; similar to 大和尙 大沙門: The great shaman, i.e. Buddha; also any bhilcsu in full orders.大法: The great Dharma, or Law.大弟子: sthavira, a chief disciple, the Fathers of the Buddhist church; an elder; an abbot; a priest licensed to preach and become an abbot; also.大衆: The great assembly, any assembly, all present, everybody.大覺: The superme bodhi, or enlightenment and the enlightening power of a Buddha.女色: Female beacuty-is chain, a serious delusion a gievous calamity山僧: “Hill monk” self-deprecatory term used by monks.不妄語: Musavada-veramani,, the fourth commandmenmt thou shalt not lie ; no false speaking不?慾: Abrahamacarya-veramani, the third commandment, thou shalt not commit adultery不放勉: No slackness or loosensess; concentration of mind and will on the good.不殺生: Pranatipatad vairamani, the first commandment, Thou shalt not kill the living.中道: The “mean” has various interpretions in general it denotes the mean betweeen taio extremes, and has special reference to the mean between realism and nihilism or eternal subgtantial existence ald annihilation between the two, suggesting the idea of a realm of mind or spirit beyond the terminobgy of 有 or 無 substance or noting or that which has form and is there are measurable and ponderable,.方便; Upaya, Convenient to the place or situation, suited to the condition opportune, appropriate; but is interpreted as 方法 methood mode, I am, and 便 as 便用convenient for use, i.e. a convenient or expedient mathod; also 方正as 便 and as 巧妙which implies strategically correary.世世生生; Transmigration affter traansmigration in the six states of mortal existence世俗; Laukika; common or ordinary things custom, expcriences, common or wondly ways.世尊; Lokajyestha, words most venerable, or Lokantra, lord of worlds.世界; Loka世間 ; the finite world the world, a world, which is of two kinds;出家; Pravraj; to leave hoime and bewcome a monk or nun.布施; Dana 檀那; the sixth paramita almsgiving i.e. of goods, or the doctrine, with resultant benefits now and also hereafter in the forms of reinearnation, as neglect or refusal in the fo will produce the opposite consequences.末法; The last of the three periods 正, 像, and 末; that of degeneration and extinction of the Buddha-law生佛; Buddha alive; a living Buddha; also 生 i.e. 衆生 all the living and 佛 i.e. Buddha因果; Cause and effect every cause has its effect as every effect arises from a cause.因緣; Hetupratyaya, cause; causes; 因 hetu, is primay cause 緣 pratayaya, secondary cause or causes, e.g. a seed is 因 rain dew, farmer, etc, are 緣色慾; Sexual desire, or passion色身; Rupa-kava. The physial body, as controsted with the 法身 dharma-kaya, the immaterial spiritual or immortal body.佛子; Son of Buddha; a bodhisattva; a believer in Buddhism for every beliver is becoming Buddha; a term also applied to all beings, becuase all are of Buddha-nature.佛性; Buddhata, The Buddha-nature i.e. gnosis enlightenment; potential bodhi remaing in every gati, i.e. all have the capacity for enlightenment; for the Buddha-nature remains in all as wheat nature remains in all wheat.佛敎; Buddhas teaching; Buddhism.佛法; Buddhadharma; the Dharma or Laq preached by the Buddha the principles unerlving these teaching the truth attained by him.佛眼; The eye of Buddha, the enlightened one who sees all and is omniscient佛語; The words, or seyings, of Buddha.佛身; Buddhakaya, a general term for the Trikaya or threefold embodiment of Buddha.佛陀; There are numberous monks from India and Central Asia bearing this as part of their names成佛; To become Buddha as a bodhisattva does on reaching super me perfect bodhi我想; The thought that the ago has reality.我慢; Abhimana, as ma-mada.我相; Egoism the concept of the ego as real戒; Sila, 新羅, precept command prohobition discipline rule; morelity戒律; Sila and Vinaya. The rules法輪; Dharma-cakra, the wheel of the Law Buddha-truth which is able to crush all evil and all apposition like lndras wheel and which rolls on from man to man place to place age to age.法雨; The rain of Buddha-truth which fertilizes all beings.修行; Carya, conduct to abserve and do to mend one’s ways; to cultivate oneself in right practice; be religious or pious.般若; Prajna “to know, understand” “Wisdom” M.W Intp 慧 wisdom;智慧 understanding or wisdom; 明 clear intelligent the sixth paramita.敎化; To transform by instruction; teach and convert; to cause another to give alms.敎理; The foundamental principles of a religion its doctrines or dogmas, e.g. the four trughs the twelve nidanas the eight tob noble path.欲心; A desirous, covetous, passionate or lusful heart.欲樂; The joy of the five desires惡口; Evil month, evil speech; a slanderous, evil-speaking person.惡業; Evil conduct in thought word or deed which leads to evil recompense; evil Karma.菩提; Bodhi ; from budh; knowledge understanding perfect wisdom; the illuminated or enlightened mind; anciently intp.愛惑; The illusion of love, or desire愛憎; Love and hate, desire and dislike愛欲; Love and desire; love of family業; Karman, karma :action work deed: “moral duty” “product, result, effect” M.W The doctrine of the act; deads especially in their relation to succeeding forms of transmigration.業報; Karma-reward; the retribution of karma, good or evil.頓悟; Sudden Illumination無念; No Thinking不生不滅; No birth and No Death如如; Suddness큰 法堂; The Big Main Hall解脫門: The Gate of Nirvana掛佛; The Hanging-up painting of the Buddha The palanduin大佛像; Wooden Buddhas I mage大雄殿; Main sanctuary. TaeungJon大雄殿佛像; Statue of vairocana Buddha Buddha I mage in the Main Hall觀; Vipasyanaj Vidarsana.To look into study examine contemt ate; contemplation, insight; a study a Taoist monactery to consider illusion and discern illusion or discern the seeming from the real; to contemplate and mentally enter into truth.觀世音; Regards of the worlds sounds or cries the so-called Goddess of Mercy; also known as 音,釋迦牟尼; Sakyamuni, the saint of the sakya tribe Muni is saint holy man, sage ascetic, monk; it is intp.釋迦; Sakya the clean or family of the Buddha, said to be derived from saka. vegetables but intp in chiness as powerful, strong and explained by powerful also erroneously by charitable which belongs rather to association with sakyamuni.禪靜; Dhyana and its chiness translation duieting of thought or its control or suppression silent meditation Dhyama and Samadhi.覺性; The enlightened mind free from all illusion.覺者; An enlightened one especially a Buddha, enlightening self and others禪房; Meditation abode a room for meditation a cell a bermitage general name for a momastery.禪師; A master or teacher of meditation or of the chian school禪悅; Joy of the mystic trance禪; To level a place for an atter to sacrifice to the hills and fountains to abdicate.應供; Worthy of worship atr of the term anhat; one of the ten titles of a Tathagata.諸法; Sarvadharma; Sarvabhava; all things; every dgarna law, thing method, etc僧俗; Monks and the laity緣起; Arising from conditional causation; everthing arises from conditions and not being spontaneous and self-contained has no separate and independent nature;僧伽; Sangha, an assemble, collectioncompany, society. The corporate assembly of at least three monks under a chairman empowered to hear confession, grant absolution and ordain解脫門; The door of release the stage of meditation charater ized by vacuity and absence of perception or wishes.煩惱; Klesa “pain affliction distress” ” care, trouble”塔; Stupa; tope;a tumulus or mound for the bones or remains of the dead or for other sacred relics, especially of the Buddha, whether relics of the body or the mind, e.g. bones or scriptures.菩提; Bodhi; from budh; knowledge, understanding; perfect wisdom; the illuminated or enlightemed mind; anciently intp敎理; The fundermental principles of a religionits doctrines or dogmas e,g. the four trughs the tweles nidanas the eight fold noble path梵鐘; A temple or monaster bell.十大弟子; The ten chief disciples of Sakyamuni, each of whom was master of one poser or gift.三處傳心; The three places where Sakyamuni is said to have transmitted his mind or thought direct and without speech to Kasyapa大乘起信論; Mahayana-sraddhotpada-sastra, attributed to Asvaghosa 마명(without sufficient evidence), tr. by Paramartha A.D. 553 and Siksananda between 695-700 ; there are nineteen commentaries on it. It is described as the foundation work of the Mahayana. Tr. into Enghlish by Timothy Richard and more correctly by T. Suzuki as The Awakening of Faith.布施; dana. charity or giving, including the bestowing of the truth on others持戒; sila, keeping the commandments忍辱; ksanti, patience under insult精進; virya, seal and progress禪定; dhyana, meditation or contemplation智慧; prajana, wisdom, the power to discern reality or truth.It is the last which carries across the samsara(sea of incarnate life) to the shores of nirvana. The opposites of these virtues are meanness, wickedness, anger, sloth, a distracted mind, and ignorance, the 唯識論 adds four other paramitas.識; perceptions: the theory of nine kinds of non-actvity三輪; or three soverrign powers for converyiong others are those of極樂; birth in the happy land of Amitabha by transformation through the Lotus.法身; the dharmakaya, or spiritual body, born or formed on a disciple’s conversion.佛菩薩; the transformation of a buddha or bodhisattva, in any form at will, without gestation or intermediary conditionsBuddha-body. A narrower interpretation is his appearance in human form expressed by 應身, while 化身 is used for his manifold other forms of appearances.十戒Siksapada. The ten prohivitions(in Pali form)consist of five commanaments for the layman;(1) not to destroy life 不殺生 panatipataveramani;(2) not to steal 不偸盜adinnadanaver;(3) not to commit adultery 不?慾 abrahmacaryaver;(4) not to lie 不妄語 musavadaver;(5) not to take intoxicating liquor 不飮酒suramereyyamajjapamadatthanaver. eight special commandment for laymen consist of the preceding five plus;(6) not eat food out of regulated hours 不非時食 vikala-bhojanaver;(7)not to use farlands of perfume 不着香華?不香塗身 malagandha-vilepana-dharana-mandana-vibhusanatthana(8) not to sleep on high or broad beds(chastity) 不坐臥高廣大牀 uccasayana-mahasayana. The ten commnadments for the monk are the preceding eight plus;(9) not to take part in singing, dancing, musical or theatrical perfcrmances, not to see or listen to sucb 不歌舞倡技不往觀聽 nacca-gita-vadita-visukadassanaver.(10) to refrain from acquiring uncoined or coined gold, or silver, or jewels 不得捉錢金銀寶物 jataruparajata-patiggahanaver. Under the Mahayana these ten commands for the monk were changed, to accord with the new environment of the monk to the following : not to kill, not to steal, to avoid all unchastity, not to lie, not to slander, not to insult, not to chatter, not to covet, not to give way to anger, to harbour no scepticism.修行; accordant方便; universal accordance with conditions of the receptivity of others說法; powers of universal explication of the truth神通; universal superhuman powers供養諸佛; power of universal service of all Buddhas成就衆生; the perfection of all beings universally斷惑; universal cutting off of delusions十牛圖; The ten ox-pictures, the first, a man looking for an ox, then sceing its tracs, then seeing the ox, catching it feeding it, riding it home, ox dies man lives, both dead, return whence they came, and enter the dust.十智; The ten forms of understanding. I Hinayana (1)世俗智 common understading (2) 法enlightened understanding, i.e. on the Four truths in this life ; (3)類 ditto, applied to the two upper reaims 上二界; (4),(5),(6)(7) understanding re each of the Four Truths separately, both in the upper and lower realms, e.g.苦智 : (8)他心 understanding of the minds of others (9)盡 the understanding that puts an end to all previous faith in or for self, i.e. 自信智; (10)無生 nirvana wisdom; v 26Mahayana. A Tathagata’s ten powers of understanding or wisdom (1)三世 perfect understanding of past, present, and future (2) ditto of Buddha Law (3)法界無碍 unimpeded understaing of the whole Buddha-realm (4)法界無邊 unlimited or infinite ditto (5)充滿一切 of ubiquity (6)普照一切世間 of universal enlightenment (7)住持一切世界 of omnipotence or universal control (8)知一切衆生 of omniscience re all living beings (9)知一切法 of moniscience re the laws of universal salvation (10)知無邊諸佛 of omniscience re all Buddha wisdom v. 華嚴經 16. There are also his ten forms of understanding of the “five Seas” 五海 of worlds, living beings karma nassions and Buddhas.十惡 Dasakusala. Thje ten “not right” or evil things are killing. stealing. stealing. adultery. lying double-tongue, coarse language, filthy language, covetousness, anger, perveted views ; these produce the ten resultant evils 業(道). Cf. 十善 ; 十戒十行; The ten necessary activities in the fifty-two stages of a bodhisattva. following on the 十信 and 十主 ; the two latter indicate personal development 自利 These ten lines of action are for the universal welfare of thers. 利他; They are joyful service; beneficial service never resenting with cut limit; never out of order ; appearing in any form at will unimpeded ; exalting the paramitas amongst all beings perfecting the Buddha-law by complete virtur ; manifesting in all things the pure, final, true reality. Superior order, grade or class. 上生 ; 中生 ; 下生 The three highest of the nine stages of birth in the Pure Land, v. 中, 下 and 九品. 蓮臺 The highest stages in the Pure Land where the best appear as ; otus flowers on the pool of the seven precious things; when the lotuses open they are transformed into beings of the Pure Land.三世; The three periods, 過去, 現在, 未來 or 過, 現, 未, past present, and future. The universe is described as eternally in motion, like a flowing stream, Also 未生, 已生, 後滅, or 未, 現, 過unborn, born, dead. The 華嚴經 Huna-yen sutra has a division of ten kinds of past, present, and future, i.e. the past spoken of as past, present, and future also, with the addition of the present as the three periods in one instant. 三際. 三千佛 Also The thousand Buddhas of each of the three kalpas-of the past, called 莊嚴 kalpa the present 賢, and the future 星宿. Their names are variously fiven in several sutras a complete list is in the 三千佛名經. 不可得 Everything past. present, future, whether mental or material, is intangible, fleeting and cannot be held; v. 心. 了遠 A Buddha’s pertect knowledge of past present and future. 佛 The Buddhas of the past present and future, i.e. Kasyapa, Sakyamuni, and Maitreya. 假實 The reality or otherwise of things or events past. present amd future. Some hinayana schools admit the reality of the present but dispute the reality of the past 已有 and the future 營有. Others take different views. all of which have been exhaustively discussed. See Vibhasa sastra 婆沙論 77, or 俱舍論 20. 實有法體恒有 The Sarvastivadah school maintains that as the three states (past present future) are real so the substance of all things is permanent; i.e. time is real. matter is eternal. 心 Mind. or thought, past, present or future, is momentary always moving unreal and cannot be laid hold of. 成佛 idem. 三生. 智 One of a Tathagata’s ten kinds of wisdom. i.e. knowledge of past, present, and future. 無障 ?智戒 The wisdom-law or moral law that frees from all impediments. past, present, and future. Also styled 三昧耶戒; 自性本源戒; 三平等戒; 菩提心戒; 無爲戒 and 眞法戒. 覺母 A name for Manjusri 文殊; as guardian of the wisdom of Vairocana he is the bodhi-mother of all Buddhas past, present, and future. 間 There are two difinitions : (1) The realms of 器 matter, of 衆生 life and 智正覺 mind especially the Buddha’s mind (2) The 五陰 psychological realm(mind) 衆生 realm of life and 國土or 器 material realm.三乘; Triyana, the theree vehicles or conveyances which carry living beings across samsara or mortality (births-and-deaths) to the shores of nirvana. The three are styled 小, 中 and 大 Some-times the three vehicles are defined as 聲聞 Sravaka, that of the hearer or obedient disciple ; 緣覺 Pratyeka-buddha that of the enlightened for self; these are described as 小乘 because the objective of both is personal salvation; the third is 菩薩 Bodhisattva, or 大乘 Mahayana, because the objective is the salvation of all the living. the three are also depicted as 三車 three wains. drawn by a goat a deer an ox. The Lotus declares that the three are really the One Buddha-behicle. which has been revealed in three expedient forms suited to his disciples capacity, the Lotus Sutra being the unifying complete and final exposition. The three vehicles are differently explained by different exponents e.g.三劫; The theree asankyjeya kalpas the three countleas aeons, the period of a bodhisattva’s development; also the 莊嚴, past the present 賢, and the future 星宿 kalpas. There are other groups. 三千佛 The thousand Buddhas in each of the three kalpas.三昧; The three flavours, or pleasant savours, The monastic life, reading the scriptures, meditation.三天; The trimurti-Siva. Visnu, and Brahma. 使 v. 三使. 四仙 v. 二天三仙 and 鳩摩羅Kuveradeva and 若提子 Nirgrantha son of jnatr, i.e. pf tje Jnatr clan.三學; The “three studies’ or yehicles of learning-discipline, meditation, wisdom ; (a) 戒learning by the commandments or prohibitions so as to guard against the evil consequences of error by mouth. body or mind i.e. word, deed or thought (b)定 by dhyana or quietist meditations (c)慧 by philosophy, i.e. study of principles and solving of doubts. Also the Tripitaka ; the 戒 being referred to the 律 vinaya, the 定 to the 經sutras, and the 慧 to the 論 sastras.三寶; Triratna or Patnatraya, i.e. the Three Precious Ones; 佛 Buddha, 法 Dharma. 僧Sangha, i.e. Buddha, the Law, the Ecclesia or order.三師七證; The three superior monks and a minimum of seven witnesses required for an ordination to full orders; except in outlandish places, when two witnesses are valid.三界; The three sets of commandments, i.e. the ten for the ordained who have left home the eight for the devout at home and the five for the ordinary laity.布施; Dana 檀那; The sixth paramita, almsgiving, i.e. of go or the doctrine, with resultant benefits now and als hereafter in the forms of reinearnation, as neglect o refusal will produce the opposite consequences.本性; The spirit one possesses by nature; hence the Buddha-nature; the buddha-nature withing ; one’s own nature.末寺; Subsidiary buildings of a monastery.末世; The Third and last period of Buddha-kalpa; the first is the first 500 years of correct doctrine, the second is the 1,000 years of semblance law, or approximation to the doctine, and the third a myriad years of itts decline and end.本質; Original substance the substance itself; any real object of the senses.定命; Samyagajiva, the fiffth of the 八正道, right livelihood, right life : ‘asstaining from any of the fobidden modes of living.”正定; Samyaksamadhi. right astractions or concentration so that the mind become vacant and recepttive the eighth of the 八正道: “right concentration, in the shape of the Four Meditations.” Keith.正?智; Samyaksambuddha 三?三佛陀; omniscience, completely enlightened the universal knowledge of a buddha. hence he is the 海 ocean of omniscience. Also 覺; 等正覺正念; Samyaksmrti, right remembrance the seventh of the 八正道; “right mindfulness the looking on the body and the spirit in such a way as to remain ordent. self-possessed and minidful having overcome both hankering and dejection “Keith.正思惟; Samyaksamkalpa, right thought and intent, the second of the 八正道; “right aspiration towards renunciation. benevolence and kindness. “keith.正業; Samyakkarmanta. righ action purity of body avoiding all wrong, the fourth of the 八正道; “right action, abstaining from taking life, or what is not fiven or from carnal indulgence. “keith.正精進Samyagvyayama. right effort, zeal or progress. unitermitting perseverance, the sixth of the 八正道; “right effort to suppress the sising of evil states to eradicate those which have arisen to stimulate good states and to perfect those which have come into being. ” Keith.正覺; Sambodhi, the wisdom or omniscience of a Buddha.正見; Samyagdrsti, right view, understading the four noble truths; the first of the 八正道: “knowledge of the four noble truths. “keith.正語; Samyagvak, right speech; the third of the 八正道; “abstaining from lying, slander, abuse, and idle talk. “Keith.正等覺; Samyagvuddhi, or-bbodhi ; the perfect universal wisdom of a buddha.生住異滅Birth stay change(or decay) death.生老病死; Birth, age, sickness, death, the 四苦 four afflictions that are the lot of every man. The five are the above four and 苦 misery, or suffering.行住坐臥; Walking, standing, sitting, lying-in every state行者; An abbot’s attendant ; also acarin, performing the duties of disciple.佛像; Buddha’s image or pratima. There is a statement that in the fifth century A. D the images in China wre of Indian features. thich lips, high nose, long eyes, bull jaws. etc… but that after the T’ang the form became “more effeminate”佛第子; Disciples of Buddha, whether monks or laymen.佛智; Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, Buddha-wisdom, i,e, supreme. universal gnosis. awareness or intelligence; sarvajnata omniscience.佛法; Buddhadharrma ; the Dharma or Law preached by the buddha the principles underlying these teachings, the truth attained by him. its embodiment in his being.

Eight kinds of Sufferings1) Suffering of birth2) Suffering of old age3) Sickness4) Death5) Being apart from loved ones6) Being together with despised ones7)Not getting what one wants8) Being attached to the five elemental aggregates of which one’s body, mind, and environment are composed

팔정도

The Eightfold Noble Path

삼계

Three Realms(Worlds)1) Realm of desire, whose inhabitants are motivated appetites and sexual desire2) The Form Realm, whose inhabitants have neither appetite nor sexual desire3) The Formless Realm, whose inhabitants have no physical forms

삼독

Three Poisons(defilements)1) desire 2) anger 3) ignorance

삼법인

The Three Universal Truths / The Three Dharma Seals1) Impermanence2) Non-Self3) Suffering

Generic term applied to a collection of traditional doctrines and precepts; also means the home or collecting-place of the law or truth; the peerless law; the ultimate absolute truth. The Four Agamas are as follows: (1) Dirghagama, “law treatises on cosmogony; (2) Madhyamagama, “middle” treatises on metaphysics; (3) Samyuktagama, “miscellaneous” treatises on abstract contemplation; (4) Edottaragama, “numerical” treatises on subjects treated numerically.The sutras of Theravada are referred to at times as the Agamas.

Agara

House, dwelling, receptacle; also, used in the sense of a Bodily organ, e.g., the ear for sound, etc.

Agaru/Aguru

Sandalwood incense.

Alaya Consciousness

The fundamental consciousness of all sentient beings. As defined by the Yogacara School, Alaya means the “storehouse”, implying that this consciousness contains and preserves all past memories and potential psychic energy within its fold; it is the reservoir of all ideas, memories and desires and is also the fundamental cause of both Samsara and Nirvana.

Almsgiving

see charity.

Amitabha(Amida, Amita, Amitayus)

Amitabha is the most commonly used name for the Buddha of Infinite Light and Infinite Life. A transhistorical Buddha venerated by all Mahayana schools (T’ien T’ai, Esoteric, Zen …) and, particularly, Pure Land. Presides over the Western Pure Land (Land of Ultimate Bliss), where anyone can be reborn through utterly sincere recitation of His name, particularly at the time of death.

Amitabha Buddha at the highest or noumenon level represents the True Mind, the Self-Nature common to the Buddhas and sentient beings – all encompassing and all-inclusive. This deeper understanding provides the rationale for the harmonization of Zen and Pure Land, two of the most popular schools of Mahayana Buddhism. See also “Buddha Reatation,” “Mind,” “Pure Land.”

Amitabha Sutra

See “Three Pure land Sutras.”

Anasrava

(Skt.) Opposite of asrava.

Anuttara-Samayak-Sambodhi

The incomparably, completely and fully awakened mind; it is the attribute of buddhas.

Apaya-bhumi

States of woe: the three realms of existence characterized by extreme discomfort and delusion–i.e., hell-states, animal-birth and the hungry ghosts, or pretas.

Arhat

Arhatship is the highest rank attained by Sravakas. An Arhat is a Buddhist saint who has attained liberation from the cycle of Birth and Death, generally through living a monastic life in accordance with the Buddhas’ teachings. This is the goal of Theravadin practice, as contrasted with Bodhisattvahood in Mahayana practice. (A Dictionary of Buddhism.) The stage is preceded by three others: 1. Stream Winner, 2. Once-Returner, 3. Non-Returner. See also “Sravakas.”

Arthakrtya

One of the Four All-Embracing Virtues: performance of conduct profitable to others in order to lead them toward the truth.

Arya

Any individual ennobled by his/her own continuing effort on the path to enlightenment.

Asamkhiya (kalpa)

Term related to the Buddhist metaphysics of time. Each of the periodic manifestations and dissolutions of universes which go on eternally has four parts, called asamkhiya kalpas.

In the Four Noble truths, Buddha Shakyamuni taught that attachment to self is the root cause of suffering:

From craving [attachment] springs grief, from craving springs fear; For him who is wholly free from craving, there is no grief, much less fear. (Dhammapada Sutra. In Narada Maha Thera, The Buddha and His Teachings.)

If you don’t have attachments, naturally you’re liberated … In ancient times, there was an old cultivator who asked for instructions from a monk, “Great Monk, let me ask you, how can I attain liberation?” The Great monk said, “Who tied you up?” This old cultivator answered, “Nobody tied me up.” The monk said, “Then why do you seek liberation?” (Hsuan Hua, tr., Flower Adornment Sutra, “Pure Conduct,” chap. 11.)

For the seasoned practitioner, even the Dharma must not become an attachment. As an analogy, to clean one’s shirt, it is necessary to use soap. However, if the soap is not then rinsed out, the garment will not be truly clean. Similarly, the practitioner’s mind will not be fully liberated until he severs attachment to everything, including the Dharma itself.

Avalokitesvara

The name is a compound of Ishwara, meaning Lord, and avalokita, looked upon or seen, and is usually translated as the Lord Who Observes (the cries of the world); the Buddhist embodiment of compassion as formulated in the Mahayana Dharma. Also called Kuan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Guan Yin is one of the triad of Amitabha Buddha, represented on his left, Usually recognizable by the small Buddha adorning Her crown. Guan Yin can transform into many different forms in order to cross over to the beings. Guan Yin is one of the most popular Bodhisattva in China.

Avatamsaka (Flower Ornament) Sutra

The basic text of the Avatamsaka School. It is one of the longest sutras in the Buddhist Canon and records the highest teaching of Buddha Shakyamuni, immediately after Enlightenment. It is traditionally believed that the Sutra was taught to the Bodhisattvas and other high spiritual beings while the Buddha was in samadhi. The Sutra has been described as the “epitome of Buddhist thought, Buddhist sentiment and Buddhist experience” and is quoted by all schools of Mahayana Buddhism, in particular, Pure Land and Zen.

Awakening vs. Enlightenment

A clear distinction should be made between awakening to the Way (Great Awakening) and attaining the Way (attaining Enlightenment). (Note: There are many degrees of Awakening and Enlightenment. Attaining the Enlightenment of the Arhats, Pratyeka Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, etc. is different from attaining Supreme Enlightenment, i.e., Buddhahood.)

To experience a Great Awakening is to achieve (through Zen meditation, Buddha Recitation, etc.) a complete and deep realization of what it means to be a Buddha and how to reach Buddhahood. It is to see one’s Nature, comprehend the True Nature of things, the Truth. However, only after becoming a Buddha can one be said to have truly attained Supreme Enlightenment (attained the Way). A metaphor appearing in the sutras is that of a glass of water containing sediments. As long as the glass is undisturbed, the sediments remain at the bottom and the water is clear. However, as soon as the glass is shaken, the water becomes turbid. Likewise, when a practitioner experiences a Great Awakening (awakens to the Way), his afflictions (greed, anger and delusion) are temporarily suppressed but not yet eliminated. To achieve Supreme Enlightenment (i.e., to be rid of all afflictions, to discard all sediments) is the ultimate goal. Only then can he completely trust his mind and actions. Before then, he should adhere to the precepts, keep a close watch on his mind and thoughts, like a cat stalking a mouse, ready to pounce on evil thoughts as soon as they arise. To do otherwise is to court certain failure, as stories upon stories of errant monks, roshis and gurus demonstrate.

Awakening of the Faith (Treatise)

A major commentary by the Patriarch Asvaghosha (lst/2nd cent.), which presents the fundamental principles of Mahayana Buddhism. Several translations exist in English.

Suddhidanthaka in Sanskrit. Ban T퉛 was a disciple of Buddha, and he was very forgetful; for when the Buddha taught him the second sentence of a gatha of a sutra he would forget the first one, and when he was taught the third one he would forget the second one. Ultimately, however, with persistence he became an Arhat.

Bardo

The intermediate existence between death and reincarnation — a stage varying from seven to forty-nine days, after which the Karmic body from previous lives will certainly be reborn.

Sanskrit word, the Buddha of Medicine, who quells all diseases and lengthens life. His is the Buddha in the Pure Land of the Paradise of the East.

Bhutatathata

The true character of reality. The real as thus, always or eternally so. True Suchness.

Bodhi

Sanskrit for Enlightenment. Also Perfect knowledge or wisdom by which a person becomes a Buddha.

Bodhi-Tao

Bodhi-path: The way or path to the Supreme Enlightenment of Buddhahood.

Bodhi Mind (Bodhicitta, Great Mind)

The spirit of Enlightenment, the aspiration to achieve it, the Mind set on Enlightenment. It involves two parallel aspects: i) the determination to achieve Buddhahood and ii) the aspiration to rescue all sentient beings.

Bodhimandala

Truth-plot, holy sits, place of Enlightenment, the place where the Buddha attained Enlightenment.

Bodhisattvas

Those who aspire to Supreme Enlightenment and Buddhahood for themselves and all beings. The word Bodhisattva can therefore stand for a realized being such as Avalokitesvara or Samantabhadra but also for anyone who has developed the Bodhi Mind, the aspiration to save oneself and others.

Bodhisattva-Tao

The way of the practitioner of Mahayana Buddhism. One following this path aspires to the attainment of Enlightenment for the sake and benefit of all sentient beings.

Brahma Net Sutra (Brahmajala Sutra)

This is a sutra of major significance in Mahayana Buddhism. In addition to containing the ten major precepts of Mahayana (not to kill, steal, lie, etc.) the Sutra also contains forty-eight less important injunctions. These fifty-eight major and minor precepts constitute the Bodhisattva Precepts, taken by most Mahayana monks and nuns and certain advanced lay practitioners.

Brahmacarya

Lit., Brahma or purified life, usually connoting the practice of celibacy.

Brahmajala

Or Indra’s net, characterized by holding a luminous gem in every one of its eyes. (Hindu mythology).

Brahmin

The highest of the four Castes in Hinduism. They served Brahma, his offering, the keepers of the Vedas, i.e. priestly.

Buddha

Lit., the Awakened One; one who through aeons of spiritual development has attained Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi. This epithet usually refers to Sakyamuni Buddha, who lived and taught in India some 2,600 years ago.

According to the Mahayana view, [buddha-nature] is the true, immutable, and eternal nature of all beings. Since all beings possess buddha-nature, it is possible for them to attain enlightenment and become a buddha, regardless of what level of existence they occupy … The answer to the question whether buddha-nature is immanent in beings is an essential determining factor for the association of a given school with Theravada or Mahayana, the two great currents within Buddhism. In Theravada this notion is unknown; here the potential to become a buddha is not ascribed to every being. By contrast the Mahayana sees the attainment of buddhahood as the highest goal; it can be attained through the inherent buddha-nature of every being through appropriate spiritual practice. (The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen.)

See also “Dharma Nature.”

Buddha Recitation

See “Buddha-Remembrance”.

Buddha-Remembrance

General term for a number of practices, such as i) oral recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s name and ii) visualization/contemplation of His auspicious marks and those of the Pure Land.

In reciting the buddha-name you use your own mind to be mindful of your own true self: how could this be considered seeking outside yourself?

Reciting the buddha-name proceeds from the mind. The mind remembers Buddha and does not forget. That’s why it is called buddha remembrance, or reciting the buddha-name mindfully.

The most common Pure Land technique is recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s name. See also “Amitabha,” “Pure Land.”

Buddhadharma

Lit., Teaching of Enlightenment.
Originally apllied to designate the teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha; supplanted
by the term “Buddhism” in its later historical development.

Tumulus, a mausoleum; a place where
the relics of Buddha were collected; hence, a place where the sutras or
images are placed.

Cakravala

The nine cakravala or concentric
mountain ranges or continents, separated by eight seas, of a universe.

Candana

White candana, or white sandalwood.

Chan

See Zen.

Ch’an-Ting

Lit., mind still and quiet: the
Chinese translation of the Sanskrit terms Dhyana-Samadhi, meaning deep
contemplative practice or yogic absorption.

Charity

or almsgiving, the first Paramitas.
There are three kinds of charity in terms of goods, teaching (Dharma) and
courage (fearlessness). Out of the three, the merits and virtues of
the teaching of the Buddha Dharma is the most surpassing. Charity done
for no reward here and hereafter is called pure or unsullied, while the
sullied charity is done for the purpose of personal benefits. In Buddhism,
the merits and virtues of pure charity is the best.

Chiliocosm

Countless Universes.

Chih-Kuan

In practice there are three contemplations; seeing such
abstractions: (1) by fixing the mind on the nose, navel, etc. (2) by stopping
every thought as it arises; (3) by dwelling on the thought that no thing
exists of itself, but from a preceding cause.

Chung Yin Shen

See Bardo.

Cintamani

The talismanic pearl, a symbol of bestowing fortune and
capable of fulfilling every wish.

Citta

Mind or heart. the two terms being
synonymous in Asian religious philosophy.

Conditioned (compounded)

Describes all the various phenomena
in the world – made up of separate, discrete elements, “with outflows,”
with no intrinsic nature of their own. Conditioned merits and virtues lead
to rebirth within samsara, whereas unconditioned merits and virtues are
the causes of liberation from Birth and Death. See also “Unconditioned.”

The practice of generosity or charity:
one of the Paramitas as well as one of the All-Embracing Virtues, where
it means, in the latter, giving others what they want just to lead them
towards the truth.

Dedication of Merit

See “Transference of Merit.”

Delusion (Ignorance)

“Delusion refers to belief in something
that contradicts reality. In Buddhism, delusion is … a lack of awareness
of the true nature or Buddha nature of things, or of the true meaning of
existence. “According to the Buddhist outlook, we are deluded by
our senses– among which intellect (discriminating, discursive thought)
is included as a sixth sense. Consciousness, attached to the senses, leads
us into error by causing us to take the world of appearances for the world
of reality, whereas in fact it is only a limited and fleeting aspect of
reality.” (The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen.)

Demons

Evil influences which hinder cultivation.
These can take an infinite number of forms, including evil beings or hallucinations.
Disease and death, as well as the three poisons of greed, anger and delusion
are also equated to demons, as they disturb the mind.

The Nirvana Sutra lists four types
of demon: i) greed, anger and delusion; ii) the five skandas, or obstructions
caused by physical and mental functions; iii) death; iv) the demon of the
Sixth Heaven (Realm of Desire).

The Self-Nature has been described
in Mahayana sutras as a house full of gold and jewelry. To preserve the
riches, i.e., to keep the mind calm, empty and still, we should shut the
doors to the three thieves of greed, anger and delusion. Letting the mind
wander opens the house to “demons,” that is, hallucinations and harm. Thus,
Zen practitioners are taught that, while in meditation, “Encountering demons,
kill the demons, encountering Buddhas, kill the Buddhas.” Both demons
and Buddhas are mind-made, Mind-Only.

Lit., “A shining one”. An inhabitant
of the heavenly realms, which is characterized by long life, joyous surroundings
and blissful states of mind. In the Buddhist tradition, these states are
understood to be impermanent, not eternal.

Deva King

The four Deva Kings in the first,
or lowest, Devaloka on its four sides are the following: East-Dhrtarastra;
South-Virodhaka; West-Viropaksa; North-Dhanada, or Vaisravana.

Dharini

Extended mantra used in esoteric
branch of Buddhism to focus and expand the mind. Its words, or sounds,
should not communicate any recognizable meaning.

The Law-doctrine that is the reality
behind being and non-being. It is interpenetrative and all-inclusive, just
as the rotation of the earth holds both night and day.

Dharma-Ending Age, Degenerate
Age, Last Age.

The present spiritually degenerate
era, twenty-six centuries after the demise of Shakyamuni Buddha. The concept
of decline, dissension and schism within the Dharma after the passing of
the Buddha is a general teaching of Buddhism and a corollary to the Truth
of Impermanence. See, for example, the Diamond Sutra (sect. 6 in the translation
by A.F. Price and Wong Mou-lam). The time following Buddha Shakyamuni’s
demise is divided into three periods: i) the Perfect Age of the Dharma,
lasting 500 years, when the Buddha’s teaching (usually meditation) was
correctly practiced and Enlightenment often attained; ii) the Dharma Semblance
Age, lasting about 1,000 years, when a form of the teaching was practiced
but Enlightenment seldom attained; iii) the Dharma-Ending Age, lasting
some ten thousand years, when a diluted form of the teaching exists and
Enlightenment is rarely attained.

Dharma Gate

School, method, tradition.

Dharma Nature

The intrinsic nature of all things.
Used interchangeably with “emptiness,” “reality.” See also “Buddha Nature.”

Dharmakara

The Bodhisattva who later became
Amitabha Buddha, as related in the Longer Amitabha Sutra. The Bodhisattva
Dharmakara is famous for forty-eight Vows, particularly the eighteenth,
which promises rebirth in the Pure Land to anyone who recites His name
with utmost sincerity and faith at the time of death.

Dharmakaya

See “Three bodies of the Buddha.”

Dhyana

The practice of concentration–i.e.,
meditation. Also, more specifically, the four form concentrations and the
four formless concentrations.

Diamond Sutra

“An independent part of the Prajnaparamita
Sutra, which attained great importance, particularly in East Asia.
It shows that all phenomenal appearances are not ultimate reality but rather
illusions, projections of one’s own mind … The work is called Diamond
Sutra because it is ‘sharp like a diamond that
cuts away all unnecessary conceptualizations and brings
one to the further shore of enlightenment.'” (The Shambhala Dictionary
of Buddhism and Zen.)

Difficult Path of Practice (Path
of the Sages, Self-Power Path)

According to Pure Land teaching,
all conventional Buddhist ways of practice and cultivation (Zen, Theravada,
the Vinaya School …), which emphasize self-power and self-reliance. This
is contrasted to the Easy Path of Practice, that is, the Pure Land method,
which relies on both self-power and other-power (the power and assistance
of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas).

Duskrta

Wrongdoing, evil action, misdeed,
sin; external sins of the body and the mouth; a light sin.

Dusts (Worldly Dusts)

A metaphor for all the mundane
things that can cloud our bright Self-Nature. These include form, sound,
scent, taste, touch, dharmas (external opinions and views). These dusts
correspond to the five senses and the discriminating, everyday mind (the
sixth sense, in Buddhism).

Dviyana

Lit., two vehicles. The two vehicles
or practice paths of Sravakayana and Pratyekabuddhayana.

Dwo-Shih

An unusual term indicating one
who has practiced the Tao with great diligence and blessing during
his lifetime and who, after his death, does not want to enter just
any womb, but prefers to wait for some auspicious condition, usurping
such a good position from another, less highly developed spirit.

Refers to Pure Land practice. The
Easy Path involves reliance on the power of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas,
in particular Buddha Amitabha (“other-power”) in addition to one’s own
cultivation(“self-power”). Usually contrasted with primary reliance on
self-power (Difficult Path of Practice), taught in other Buddhist schools.
Equal reliance on self-power and other-power distinguishes the Pure Land
School from most other schools of Buddhism. The distinction is, however,
a matter of emphasis, as all schools of Buddhism rely, to a greater or
lesser extent, on both self-power and other-power. See also “Other-power”.

(1) Suffering of Birth; (2) Suffering
of Old Age; (3) Suffering of Sickness; (4) Suffering of Death; (5) Suffering
of being apart from the loved ones; (6) Suffering being together with the
despised ones; (7) Suffering of not getting what one wants; (8) Suffering
of the flouishing of the Five Skandhas.

Eight Winds

Winds of Eight Directions. Most
people are usually moved by the winds of the eight directions: (1) Praise;
(2) Ridicule; (3) Suffering; (4)Happiness; (5) Benefit; (6) Destruction;
(7) Gain; (8) Loss.

Eightfold Path

The eight right ways leading to
the cessation of sufferings. (1) Right View; (2) Right Thought; (3) Right
Speech; (4) Right Action; (5) Right Livelihood; (6) Right Effort; (7) Right
Remembrance; (8) Right Concentration.

Endurance (World)

See “Saha World.”

Enlightenment

See “Awakening vs. Enlightenment.”

Evil Paths

The paths of hells, hungry ghosts,
animality. These paths can be taken as states of mind; i.e., when someone
has a vicious thought of maiming or killing another, he is effectively
reborn, for that moment, in the hells.

Expedient means (Skillful means,
Skill-in-means, Upaya)

Refers to strategies, methods,
devices, targetted to the capacities, circumstances, likes and dislikes
of each sentient being, so as to rescue him and lead him to Enlightenment.
“Thus, all particular formulations of the Teaching are just provisional
expedients to communicate the Truth (Dharma) in specific contexts.” (J.C.
Cleary.) “The Buddha’s words were medicines for a given sickness at a given
time,” always infinitely adaptable to the conditions of the audience.

Externalists

Literally, followers of non-Buddhist
paths. This term is generally used by Buddhists with reference to followers
of other religions.

1. Wrong views which are common
to triloka; 2. Clinging or attachment in the desire realm; 3. Clinging
or attachment in the form realm: 4. Clinging or attachment in the formless
realm which is still mortal; 5. The state of unenlightenment which is the
root-cause of all distressful delusion.

The five groups of elements (Dharmas)
into which all existences are classified in early Buddhism. The five
are: Rupa (matter), Vedana (feeling), Sanjna (ideation); Samskara
(forces or drives) Vijnana (consciousness or sensation). Group, heap,
aggregate; the five constituents of the personality; form, feeling,
perception, impulses, consciousness; the five factors constituting
the individual

They are. 1. the defilement of
views, when incorrect, perverse thoughts and ideas are predominant; 2.
the defilement of passions, when all kinds of transgressions are exalted;
3. the defilement of the human condition, when people are usually dissatisfied
and unhappy; 4. the defilement of the life-span, when the human life-span
as a whole decreases; S. the defilement of the world-age, when war and
natural disasters are rife. These conditions, viewed from a Buddhist angle,
however, can constitute aids to Enlightenment, as they may spur practitioners
to more earnest cultivation.

Flower Store World

The entire cosmos, consisting of
worlds upon worlds ad infinitum, as described in the Avatamsaka Sutra.
It is the realm of Vairocana Buddha, the transcendental aspect of Buddha
Shakyamuni and of all Buddhas. The Saha World, the Western Pure Land and,
for that matter, all lands and realms are within the Flower Store World.

Four Aspects (of Buddha Dharma)

(1) the teaching; (2) the principle;
(3) the practice; (4) the fruit/reward/result.

Four Elements

All matters are formed and are
composed by four conditioned causes :

(1) earth, which is characterized
by solidity and durability; (2) water, which is characterized by liquid/fluid
and moisture; (3) fire, which is characterized by energy and warmth; (4)
wind, which is characterized by gas/air movement.

Four Fruits of the Arhat

See under Arhat entry.

Four Great Bodhisattva

They represent the four major characters
of Bodhisattva:

1.Manjusri – Universal Great Wisdom
Bodhisattva;

2.Samantabhadra – Universal Worthy
Great Conduct Bodhisattva;

3.Ksitigarbha – Earth Store King
Great Vow Bodhisattva;

4.Avalokitesvara – Guan Shr Yin
Great Compassion Bodhisattva.

Four Great Vows (Four Universal
Vows)

The four vows held by all Bodhisattvas.
These vows are called great because of the wondrous and inconceivable compassion
involved in fulfilling them. They are as follows: Sentient beings without
number we vow to enlighten; Vexations without end we vow to eradicate;
Limitless approaches to Dharma we vow to master; The Supreme Awakening
we vow to achieve.

Four Noble Truths

1)Sufferings; 2)Cause of Sufferings;
3)Cessation of sufferings; 4)The Path leading to the cessation of sufferings.

Four Pure Lands

A classification by the Pure Land
and T’ien T’ai schools of the pure realms subsumed under the Land of Amitabha
Buddha, as described in the sutras. They are:

i) the Land of Common Residence
of Beings and Saints (Land Where Saints and Ordinary Beings Dwell Together),
where all beings, from the six lower worlds (hells, hungry ghosts …)
to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, live together (further divided into
two, the Common Residence Pure Land and Common Residence Impure Land);

ii) the Land of Expediency (Land
of Expedient Liberation), inhabited by Arhats and lesser Bodhisattvas;

iii) the Land of Real Reward, inhabited
by the highest Bodhisattvas;

iv) the Land of Eternally Quiescent
Light, in which the Buddhas dwell.

These distinctions are at the phenomenal
level. At the noumenon level, there is, of course, no difference among
them.

Four Reliance (to learning Buddhist
Dharma)

The four standards of Right Dharma
which buddhist should rely on or abide by:

(1) to abide by the Dharma,
not the person;

(2) to abide by the sutras of ultimate
truth, not the sutras of incomplete truth;

The forms of wisdom of a Buddha.
(1) the Great- Mirror wisdom of Aksobhya; (2) the Universal Wisdom of
Ratnaketu; (3) the Profound Observing Wisdom of Amitabha; (4) the
Perfecting Wisdom of Amoghsiddhi.

Fourfold Assembly

Or the Four Varga (groups) are
bhiksu, bhiksuni, upasaka and upasika, i.e. monks, nuns, male and female
devotees.

Guru, virtuous friend, wise person,
Bodhisattva, Buddha — anyone (even an evil being!) who can help the practitioner
progress along the path to Enlightenment. This notwithstanding, wisdom
should be the primary factor in the selection of such an advisor: the advisor
must have wisdom, and both advisor and practitioner must exercise wisdom
in selecting one another.

A heaven in the Realm of Desire,
with thirty-two god-kings presided over by Indra, thus totaling thirty-three,
located at the summit of Mt. Sumeru (G.C.C. Chang).

Heretical views

The sutras usually refer to sixty-two
such views. They are the externalist (non-Buddhist) views prevalent in
Buddha Shakyamuni’s time.

Hinayana

The Lesser Vehicle; a term applied
by the Mahayana to those schools of Buddhism that practice to attain
the fruits of Sravakayana and Pratyekabuddhayana
and do not attempt to attain the Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi of Buddha.

A park near the city of Sravasti,
said to have been obtained from Prince Jeta by Anathapindika, in which
monasterial buildings were erected; the favorite resort of Sakyamuni.

Jewel Net of Indra

This is a net said to hang in the
palace of Indra, the king of the gods. At each interstice of the net is
a reflecting jewel, which mirrors not only the adjacent jewels but the
multiple images reflected in them. This famous image is meant to describe
the unimpeded interpenetration of all and everything.

Periodic manifestations and dissolutions
of universes which go on etemally. Great kalpas
consist of four asamkhiya kalpas corresponding to childhood.
maturity, old age and the death of the universe.

Karma

Volition, volitional or intentional
activity. Karma is always followed by its fruit, Vipaka. Karma and Vipaka
are oftentimes referred to as the law of causality, a cardinal concern
in the Teaching of the Buddha.

Common karma: the difference
between personal and common karma can be seen in the following example:
Suppose a country goes to war to gain certain economic advantages and in
the process, numerous soldiers and civilians are killed or maimed. If a
particular citizen volunteers for military service and actually participates
in the carnage, he commits a personal karma of killing. Other citizens,
however, even if opposed to the war, may benefit directly or indirectly
(e.g., through economic gain). They are thus said to share in the common
karma of killing of their country.

Fixed karma: in principle,
all karma is subject to change. Fixed karma, however, is karma which can
only be changed in extraordinary circumstances, because it derives from
an evil act committed simultaneously with mind, speech and body. An example
of fixed karma would be a premeditated crime (versus a crime of passion).

Kasaya

The monk퉠 robe, or cassock.

Ksana

An inconceivably short mind-moment.

Ksanti

Patience or forbearance, one of
the Six Paramitas.

Ksatriya

The second of the four Hindi Castes
at the time of Shakyamuni, they were the royal caste, the noble landlord,
the warriors and the ruling castes.

A distinctive mark, sign, indication,
characteristic or designation. A Buddha is recognized by his thirty-two
characteristic physiological marks.

Lankavatara Sutra

The only sutra recommended by Bodhidharma,
the First Zen Patriarch in China. It is a key Zen text, along with the
Diamond Sutra (recommended by the Sixth Patriarch), the Surangama Sutra,
the Vimalakirti Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra … The last four sutras are
referred to frequently in Pure Land commentaries.

Last Age

See “Dharma-Ending Age.”

Law of Interdependent Causation

It states that all phenomena arise
depending upon a number of casual factors. In other word, a phenomenon
exists in condition that the other exist; it has in condition that others
have; it extinguishes in condition that others extinguish; it has not in
condition that others have not. For existence, there are twelve links in
the chain:

Ignorance is the condition for karmic
activity;

Karmic activity is the condition for
consciousness;

Consciousness is the condition for
the name and form;

Name and form is the condition for
the six sense organs;

Six sense organs are the condition
for contact;

Contact is the condition for feeling;

Feeling is the condition for emotional
love/craving;

Emotional love/craving is the condition
for grasping;

Grasping is the condition for existing;

Existing is the condition for birth;

Birth is the condition for old age
and death;

Old age and death is the condition
for ignorance; and so on.

Lesser Vehicle

The early Buddhism. A term coined
by Mahayanists to distinguish this school of Buddhism [whose modern descendent
is Theravada] from Mahayana. It is so called because the teaching of this
school puts emphasis on one’s own liberation, whereas the teaching of Mahayana
stresses the attainment of Buddhahood for all sentient beings. Theravada
is now prevalent in southeast Asia, while Mahayana has spread over the
northern area (China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan …) (G.C.C. Chang).

Lotus Grades

The nine possible degrees of rebirth
in the Western Pure Land. The more merits and virtues the practitioner
accumulates, the higher the grade.

Lotus Sect

A Buddhist sect founded by the
great Master Hui Yuan about 390 A.D. at his monastery on Mount Lu
in Kiangsi Province in China. The Lotus Sect believes in and
honors Amitabha Buddha and declares that, through the chanting of his name
and by purifying and finally ridding oneself of desire, one can be reborn
in the Pure Land. There one is born of a lotus, and, depending on one’s
degree of purification and practice, one is born into one of the nine grades
of the lotus: upper superior, middle superior, lower superior,
etc.

Lotus Sutra

Or Saddharma-pundarika, Dharma
Flower, or “The Lotus of the True Law.” The sutra is the basis for the
Lotus sect (T’ien-t’ai in Chinese). Among the sutras of the Mahayana canon.

One of the earliest and
most richly descriptive of the Mahayana sutras of Indian origin. It became
important for the shaping of the Buddhist tradition in East Asia, in particular
because of its teaching of the One Vehicle under which are subsumed the
usual Hinayana [Theravada] and Mahayana divisions. It is the main text
of the Tendai [T’ien T’ai] school. (Joji Okazaki.)

This School has a historically close
relationship with the Pure Land School. Thus, Master T’ai Hsu taught that
the Lotus Sutra and the Amitabha Sutras were closely connected, differing
only in length.

Also, Mahasattva; a great Bodhisattva
who has reached the advanced stage of Enlightenment.

Mahakaruna

Great compassion.

Mahakasyapa

Also, Kasyapa; one of Buddha’s
disciples. The Ch’an Sect, according to its tradition, claims him
as its first patriarch.

Maharaja

A great or superior king.

Mahayama

The mother of Shakaymuni. She was
a Koliyan Princess and married to Suddhodana.

Mahayana

Lit., great vehicle; the dominant
Buddhist tradition of East Asia. Special characteristics of Mahayana are
1. Emphasis on bodhisattva ideal, 2. The accession of the Buddha to a superhuman
status, 3. The development of extensive philosophical inquiry to counter
Brahmanical and other scholarly argument, 4. The development of elaborate
devotional practice.

Mahasattva

See Maha-Bodhisattva.

Mahasthamaprapta (Shih Chih,
Seishi)

One of the three sages in Pure
Land Buddhism, recognizable by the water jar (jeweled pitcher) adorning
Her crown. Usually represented in female form in East Asian iconography.
Amitabha Buddha is frequently depicted standing between the Bodhisattvas
Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta.

Maitreya

Sanskrit word, literally means
friendly and benevolent. He will be the next Buddha in our world. He is
now preaching in Tusita Heaven. In China, he is usually represented as
the fat laughing Buddha.

Maitri

Loving-kindness.

Manas

The name of the seventh of the
eight consciousnesses. I refers to the faculty of thought, the intellectual
function of consciousness.

Mani

A jewel, gem, precious stone; especially
a pearl bead or other globular ornament.

Mantra

A syllable, word or verse which
has been revealed to a seer in meditation, embodiment in sound of a deity;
spell or incantation.

Marks

Characteristics, forms, physiognomy.
Marks are contrasted with essence, in the same way that phenomena are contrasted
with noumenon. True Mark stands for True Form, True Nature, Buddha Nature,
always unchanging. The True Mark of all phenomena is like space: always
existing but really empty; although empty, really existing. The True Mark
of the Triple World is No-Birth/No-Death, not existent/not non-existent,
not like this/not like that. True Mark is also called “Self-Nature,” “Dharma
Body,” the “Unconditioned,” “True Thusness,” “Nirvana,” “Dharma
Realm.11 See also “Noumenon/Phenomena.”

Meditation Sutra

One of the three core sutras of
the Pure Land school. It teaches sixteen methods of visualizing Amitabha
Buddha, the Bodhisattvas and the Pure Land. This sutra stresses the element
of meditation in Pure Land. See also “Three Pure Land Sutras,” “Vaidehi,”
“Visualization.”

Merit and Virtue

These two terms are sometimes used
interchangeably. However, there is a crucial difference: merits are the
blessings (wealth, intelligence, etc.) of the human and celestial realms;
therefore, they are temporary and subject to Birth and Death. Virtues,
on the other hand, transcend Birth and Death and lead to Buddhahood. Four
virtues are mentioned in Pure Land Buddhism: eternity; happiness; True
Self; purity. An identical action (e.g., charity)
can lead either to merit or virtue, depending on the mind of the practitioner,
that is, on whether he is seeking mundane rewards (merit) or transcendence
(virtue). Thus, the Pure Land cultivator should not seek merits for
by doing so, he would, in effect, be choosing to remain within samsara.
This would be counter to his very wish to escape Birth and Death.

Middle Vehicle

Also called Middle Doctrine School
or Madhyarnika; one of the two main schools of Mahayana thought; it upholds
the Void as the only really real or independent, unconditioned Reality.

Mind

Key concept in all Buddhist teaching.

Frequent term in Zen, used
in two senses: (1) the mind-ground, the One Mind … the buddha-mind, the
mind of thusness … (2) false mind, the ordinary mind dominated by conditioning,
desire, aversion, ignorance, and false sense of self, the mind of delusion
… (J.C. Cleary, A Buddha from Korea.)

The ordinary, deluded mind (thought)
includes feelings, impressions, conceptions, consciousness, etc. The Self-Nature
True Mind is the fundamental nature, the Original Face, reality, etc. As
an analogy, the Self-Nature True Mind is to mind what water is to waves
— the two cannot be dissociated. They are the same but they are also different.
To approach the sutras “making discriminations and nurturing attachments
is no different from the Zen allegory of a person attempting to lift a
chair while seated on it. If he would only get off the chair, he could
raise it easily. Similarly, the practitioner truly understands the
Dharma only to the extent that he “suspends the operation of the discriminating
intellect, the faculty of the internal dialogue through which people from
moment to moment define and perpetuate their customary world of perception.”
(See this book, Introduction.)

See also the following passage:

The mind … “creates”
the world in the sense that it invests the phenomenal world with value.
The remedy to this situation, according to Buddhism, is to still the mind,
to stop it from making discriminations and nurturing attachments toward
certain phenomena and feelings of aversion toward others. When this state
of calmness of mind is achieved, the darkness of ignorance and passion
will be dispelled and the mind can perceive the underlying unity of the
absolute. The individual will then have achieved the state of enlightenment
and will be freed from the cycle of birth and death, because such a person
is now totally indifferent to them both. (Burton Watson, The Zen Teachings
of Master Lin-Chi.)

Mindfulness of the Buddha

Synonymous with Buddha Recitation.
See “Buddha Recitation.”

Mount Sumeru

The central mountain of every universe.
Also called Wonderful Height, Wonderful Brilliancy, etc.

“One of the most important philosophers
of Buddhism and the founder of the Madhyamika school. Nagarjuna’s
major accomplishment was his systematization of
the teaching presented in the Prajnaparamita Sutras. Nagarjuna’s
methodological approach of rejecting all opposites is the basis of the
Middle Way (Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen.)

Narayana

Name of a deva, a strong, manly
hero having divine power.

Nirmanakaya

See “Three bodies of the Buddha.”

Nirvana

The deathless; the cessation of
all suffering. The very opposite of the Wheel of Birth-and-Death; it is
what those in the Buddhist tradition aspire to experience. The Absolute,
which transcends designation and mundane characterization.

Nirvana Sutra

The last of the sutras in the Mahayana
canon. It emphasizes the importance of Buddha-nature, which is the same
as Self-Nature.

Non-Birth (No-Birth)

“A term used to describe the nature
of Nirvana. In Mahayana Buddhism generally, No-Birth signifies the ‘extinction’
of the discursive thinking by which we conceive of things as arising and
perishing, forming attachments to them.” (Ryukoku University.) See
also “Tolerance of Non-Birth.”

The Lotus Assembly represents the
gathering of Buddha Amitabha, the Bodhisattvas, the sages and saints and
all other superior beings in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. This Assembly
is “Ocean-Wide” as the participants are infinite in number — spreading
as far and wide as the ocean. The term Ocean-Wide Assembly is generally
associated with the Avatamsaka Sutra, a text particularly prized by the
Pure Land and Zen schools alike.

Once-returner

A sage who has only one rebirth
left before reaching Arhatship and escaping birth and death.

One-Life Bodhisattva

A Bodhisattva who is one lifetime
away from Buddhahood. The best known example is the Bodhisattva Maitreya.

One-Vehicle Dharma

The one Yana, the vehicle of Oneness.
The one Buddhayana, the One Vehicle, i.e., Mahayana, which contains
the final or complete Law of the Buddha and not merely a part, or
preliminary stage, as in Hinayana.

Other-Power

The issue of other-power (Buddhas’
power) is often misunderstood and glossed over by many Buddhists. However,
it must be pointed out that, in Buddhism, other-power is absolutely necessary
if a Bodhisattva is to attain Ultimate Enlightenment. The Lankavatara
Sutra (the only sutra recommended by Bodhidharma) and the Avatamsaka Sutra
(described by D.T. Suzuki as the epitome of Buddhist thought) are emphatically
clear on this point:

As long as [conversion]
is an experience and not mere understanding, it is evident that self-discipline
plays an important role in the Buddhist life . but .. we must not forget
the fact that the Lanka [Lankavatara Sutra] also emphasizes the necessity
of the Buddha’s power being added to the Bodhisattvas’, in their
upward course of spiritual development and
in the accomplishment of their great task of world salvation. (Daisetz
Teitaro Suzuki, tr., The Lankavatara Sutra, p. xviii.)

The Avatamsaka Sutra states:

Having purified wisdom and means
in the seventh stage …

The great sages attain acceptance
of non-origination …

On the basis of their previous
resolution, the buddhas further exhort them …:

“Though you have extinguished the
burning of the fire of affliction,

Having seen the world still afflicted,
remember your past vows;

Having thought of the welfare of
the world, work in quest Of the cause of knowledge, for the liberation
of the world.”

Lit., defeat or the conditions
leading to the defeat of the Bodhicitta. Also. the conditions leading to
the defeat of the Bhiksu’s life.

Paramita

: Refers to the six practices,
the perfection of which ferries one beyond the sea of suffering and
mortality to Nirvana. The six Paramitas are the following: (1) Dana,
charity or giving, including the bestowing of truth on others; (2)
Sila, keeping the discipline; (3) Ksanti, patience under suffering
and insult; (4) Virya, zeal and progress; (5) Dhyana, meditation
or contemplation; (6) Prajna, wisdom, the power to discern reality
or truth. It is the perfection of the last one — Prajna — that
ferries sentient beings across the ocean of Samsara (the sea of incarnate
life) to the shores of Nirvana.

Parinirvana

The Buddha’s final Nirvana, entered
by him at the time of death.

Polar Mountain

In Buddhist cosmology, the universe
is composed of worlds upon worlds7 ad infinitum. (Our earth is only a small
part of one of these worlds). The Polar Mountain is the central mountain
of each world.

Polaris

The North Star, polestar; star
of the second magnitude, standing alone and forming the end of the tail
of the constellation Ursa Minor; it marks very nearly the position of the
north celestial pole.

Prajna

True or transcendental wisdom.
Last of the paramitas. One of the highest attainments of Buddhist practice.

Pratyeka Buddha

A solitary Buddha; one who has
achieved Awakening through insight into the dependent origination of mind
and body. Pratyekabuddhas lead only solitary lives, and they do not teach
the Dharma to others nor do they have any desire to do so.

Pretas

Hungry ghosts. who are tormented
by continual and unsatisfied cravings. The preta-realm is one of the three
states of woe (apaya-bhumi) and one of the six realms of existence.

Priyavacana

Lit., loving or affectionate speech.
This beautiful and affectionate speech is one of the Four All-Embracing
Virtues and is used to lead sentient beings toward the truth.

Pure Land

Generic term for the realms of
the Buddhas. In this text it denotes the Land of Ultimate Bliss or Western
Land of Amitabha Buddha. It is not a realm of enjoyment, but rather an
ideal place of cultivation, beyond the Triple Realm and samsara, where
those who are reborn are no longer subject to retrogression. This is the
key distinction between the Western Pure Land and such realms as the Tusita
Heaven. There are two conceptions of the Pure Land: as different and apart
from the Saha World and as one with and the same as the Saha World. When
the mind is pure and undefiled, any land or environment becomes a pure
land (Vimalakirti, Avatamsaka Sutras …). See also “Triple Realm.”

Pure Land School

When Mahayana Buddhism spread to
China, Pure Land ideas found fertile ground for development. In the fourth
century, the movement crystallized with the formation of the Lotus Society,
founded by Master Hui Yuan (334-416), the first Pure Land Patriarch.
The school was formalized under the Patriarchs T’an Luan (Donran) and Shan
Tao (Zendo). Master Shan Tao’s teachings, in particular, greatly
influenced the development of Japanese Pure Land, associated with Honen
Shonin (Jodo school) and his disciple, Shinran Shonin (Jodo Shinshu school)
in the 12th and 13th centuries. Jodo Shinshu, or Shin Buddhism,
places overwhelming emphasis on the element of faith.

[Pure Land comprises the
schools] of East Asia which emphasize aspects of Mahayana Buddhism stressing
faith in Amida, meditation on and recitation of his name, and the religious
goal of being reborn in his “Pure Land” or “Western Paradise.” (Keith Crim.)

Note: An early form of Buddha Recitation
can be found in the Nikayas of the Pali Canon:

In the Nikayas, the Buddha
… advised his disciples to think of him and his virtues as if they saw
his body before their eyes, whereby they would be enabled to accumulate
merit and attain Nirvana or be saved from transmigrating in the evil paths
… (D.T. Suzuki, The Eastern Buddhist, Vol.3, No.4, p.317.)

World of Endurance. Refers to this
world of ours, filled with suffering and afflictions, yet gladly endured
by its inhabitants.

Sakra

God of the sky who fights the demons
with his vajra, or thunderbolt.

Sage

A wise and virtuous person, an
accomplished one who is second in rank to a saint.

Sala

Or Salavana, the grove of sal(teak)
trees near Kusinagara, the place of the Buddha’s death.

Samadhi

Deep concentration: the state of
one-pointedness of mind characterized by peace and imperturbability. Samadhi
is also one of the Paramitas and is indispensable on the path to Bodhi.

Samanarthata

Cooperation with and adaptation
to others for the sake of leading them towards the truth. Samanarthata
is one of the Four All-Embracing Virtues.

Samantabhadra

Also called Universal Worthy or,
in Japanese, Fugen. A major Bodhisattva, who personifies the
transcendental practices and vows of the Buddhas (as compared to the Bodhisattva
Manjusri, who represents transcendental wisdom). Usually depicted seated
on an elephant with six tusks (six paramitas). Best known for his “Ten
Great Vows.”

Samatha

Quiet, tranquillity, calmness of mind, absence of mind.

Sambhogakaya

See “Three bodies of the Buddha.”

Samsara

Cycle of rebirths; realms of Birth
and Death.

Sangha

Lit., harmonious community.
In the Buddhadharma, Sangha means the order of Bhiksus, Bhiksunis,
Sramaneras and Sramanerikas. Another meaning is the Arya Sangha, made up
of those individuals, lay or monastic, who have attained one of the four
stages of sanctity. Also, the Bodhisattva Sangha.

Sangharama Body

A monastery with its garden or
grove, a universal body.

Sanskrit

Learned language of India. Canonical
texts of Mahayana Buddhism in its Indian stage were written in Sanskrit.

Sariputra

Major disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha,
foremost in wisdom among His Arhat disciples.

Sastra

Commentary; the commentaries constitute
one of the three parts of the Buddhist canonical scrptures.

Blessed, endowed with supernatural
faculties. This same term refers to the Sankrit alphabet also and is, likewise,
transliterated as Hsi-ta in Chinese.

Siddhanta

The four siddhanta. The Buddha
taught by (1) mundane of ordinary modes of expression; (2)individual treatment,
adapting his teaching to the capacity of his hearers; (3) diagnostic treatment
of their moral diseases; and (4) the perfect and highest truth.

Siksamana

A lay-disciple who maintains the
eight precepts, either temporarily or as preparation for leaving home.

Sila

Moral precepts. These number 5,8,10,250
or 350. Also, one of the Paramitas.

Six Directions

North, South, East, West, above
and below, i.e., all directions. In the Avatamsaka Sutra, they are expanded
to include points of the compass in between and are referred to as the
Ten Directions.

Six Dusts

See “Dusts.”

Six Organs

The six indriyas, or sense organs:
eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind.

Six Planes of Existence (Six
Paths)

The paths within the realm of Birth
and Death. Includes the three Evil Paths (hells, hungry ghosts, animality)
and the paths of humans, asuras and celestials. These paths can be understood
as states of mind. See also “Evil Paths.”

Sixth Patriarch

Hui Neng (638-713), the Sixth Patriarch
of the Chinese Zen school and author of the Platform Sutra.

Skandhas

As taught by the Buddha, the skandhas
are the components of the human so-called entity that is constantly changing.
They are: I. Name/form; 2. Feeling; 3. Conception; 4. Impulse; 5. Consciousness.

Skillful Means

See “Expedient Means.”

Small Vehicle

See entry under Hinayana.

Spiritual power

Also called miraculous power. Includes,
inter alia, the ability to see all forms (deva eye), to hear all sounds
(deva ear), to know the thoughts of others, to be anywhere and do anything
at will.

Sramana

Lit., laborer; applied to those
who wholeheartedly practice toward enlightenment; root word of the designation
for novice monk.

Sramanera

A novice monk holding the 10 precepts.

Sramanerika

A novice nun holding the 10 precepts.

Sravakas

“Lit., ‘voice-hearers’: those who
follow [Theravada] and eventually become arhats as a result of listening
to the buddhas and following their teachings” (A. Buzo and T. Prince.)
See also “Arhat.”

Sudhana (Good Wealth)

The main protagonist in the next-to-last
and longest chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra. Seeking Enlightenment, he
visited and studied with fifty-three spiritual advisors and became the
equal of the Buddhas in one lifetime. Both his first advisor and his last
advisor (Samantabhadra) taught him the Pure Land path.

Suddhodana

Pure Rice King, the father of Shakyamuni,
ruled over the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu on the Nepalese border.

Sudra

The lowest of the four Hindi Castes
at the time of Shakyamuni. They were peasants, slaves and serfs.

Sumeru

Lit., exalted, excellent; the mythical
“world mountain” that rises through the center of a Buddhist universe.

Surangama Sutra

Also called Heroic Gate Sutra.

The “Sutra of the Heroic
One” exercised a great influence on the development of Mahayana Buddhism
in China [and neighboring countries]. It emphasizes the power of samadhi,
through which enlightenment can be attained, and explains the various methods
of emptiness meditation through the practice of which everyone … can
realize … enlightenment ä (Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and
Zen.)

Sutra

An aphorism; a thread of suggestive
words or phrases summarizing religious and philosophical instruction. In
buddhism, it refers to a discourse by the Buddha or one of his major disciples.
The Sutra collection is one of the three divisions of the Buddhist scriptures.

The famous vows of the Bodhisattva
Samantabhadra in the Avatamsaka Sutra. These vows represent the quintessence
of this Sutra and are the basis of all Mahayana practice. Studying the
vows and putting them into practice is tantamount to studying the Avatamsaka
Sutra and practicing its teachings. See also “Samantabhadra.”

Ten Precepts

Include an expanded version of
the Five Precepts of body and mouth (not to kill, steal, engage in illicit
sex, lie, or take intoxicants) with the addition of the virtues of the
mind (elimination of greed, anger and delusion). See also “Five Precepts,”
“Ten Evil Acts.”

Ten Stages of a Bodhisattva’s
Progress

They are the following: (1)
Joy at having overcome former difficulties and at now entering the
path to Buddhahood; (2) Freedom from all possible defilement, the
stage of purity; (3) The stage of further enlightenment; (4) Glowing
wisdom; (5) Mastery of the utmost or final difficulties; (6) The
open way of wisdom that is beyond purity and impurity; (7) Proceeding
afar, above the concept of “self” in order to save others; (8)
Attainment of calm imperturbability; (9) Achievement of the finest
discriminatory wisdom; knowing, expediently, where and how to save;
possessing the ten powers; (10) Attainment of the fertilizing powers
of the Law Cloud.

Ten Virtues

The virtuous modes of behavior,
which are the positive counterparts to the Five Precepts.

Theravada

Lit., the School of the Elders;
one of the two main forms of Buddhism known in the world today; practiced
chiefly in south-east Asia; has the Pali Canon for textual foundation;
this tradition advocates the Arahantship.

Third Lifetime

In the first lifetime, the practitioner
engages in mundane good deeds which bring ephemeral worldly blessings (wealth,
power, authority, etc.) in the second lifetime. Since power tends to corrupt,
he is likely to create evil karma, resulting in retribution in the third
lifetime. Thus, good deeds in the first lifetime are potential “enemies”
of the third lifetime. To ensure that mundane good deeds do not become
“enemies the practitioner should dedicate all merits to a transcendental
goal, i.e., to become Bodhisattvas or Buddhas or, in Pure Land teaching,
to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land — a Buddha land beyond Birth and Death.

In a mundane context, these three
lifetimes can be conceived of as three generations. Thus, the patriarch
of a prominent family, through work and luck, amasses great power, fortune
and influence (first lifetime). His children are then able to enjoy a leisurely,
and, too often, dissipated life (second lifetime). By the generation of
the grandchildren, the family’s fortune and good reputation have all but
disappeared (third lifetime).

Thirty-seven Limbs of Enlightenment

These are: a. the four mindfulnesses;
b. the four right efforts; c. the four bases of miraculous powers; d. the
five roots; e. the five powers; f. the seven factors of enlightenment;
and g. the eightfold noble path (G.C.C. Chang).

Three bodies of the Buddha (Skt.
trikaya)

1. Dharmakaya: The Dharma-body,
or the “body of reality”, which is formless, unchanging, transcendental,
and inconceivable. Synonymous with suchness, or emptiness. 2. Sambhogakaya:
the “body of enjoyment”, the celestial body of the Buddha. Personification
of eternal perfection in its ultimate sense. It “resides” in the Pure Land
and never manifests itself in the mundane world, but only in the celestial
spheres, accompanied by enlightened Bodhisattvas. 3. Nirmanakaya: the “incarnated
body” of the Buddha. In order to benefit certain sentient beings, a Buddha
incarnates himself into an appropriate visible body, such as that of Sakyamuni
Buddha.

The incarnated body of the Buddha
should not be confused with a magically produced Buddha. The former is
a real, tangible human body which has a definite life span, The latter
is an illusory Buddha-form which is produced with miraculous

powers and can be withdrawn with
miraculous powers (G.C.C. Chang).

Three Evil Paths

See “Evil Paths.”

Three Jewels (Three Precious
Ones, Three Treasures)

In Sanskrit, Rathatraya. Buddha,
Dharma and Sangha; sometimes referred to as the Teacher, the Teaching and
the Taught.

Three Karmas

The three conditions, inheritances
or karmas, of which there are several groups, including the karmas of deeds,
words and thoughts.

Three Poisons

Craving, aversion and delusion;
also, these are termed the three root-stains or the three roots of
unskillfulness.

c) Meditation Sutra (or the Meditation
on the Buddha of Infinite Life, or the Amitayus Dhyana Sutra).

Sometimes the last chapter of the Avatamsaka
Sutra (“The Practices and Vows of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra”) is considered
the fourth basic sutra of the Pure Land tradition. Note: in Pure Land,
the Longer Amitabha Sutra is considered a shorter form of the Lotus Sutra.

Three Realms (Triple Realm, Three
Worlds)

The realms of desire (our world),
form (realms of the lesser deities) and formlessness (realms of the higher
deities). The Western Pure Land is outside the Triple Realm, beyond samsara
and retrogression. See also “Pure Land.”

Three Refuges

Taking refuge and possessing confidence
in the Buddha’s Awakening, in his Teaching and in the Sangha of enlightened
disciples.

Three Vehicles

The yanas of Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas
and Bodhisattvas.

T’ien T’ai (Tendai) School

A major school that takes the Lotus
Sutra as its principal text. Historically, it has had a close relationship
with Pure Land. See also “Lotus Sutra.”

Tolerance of Non-Birth

“Tolerance” (insight) that comes
from the knowledge that all phenomena are unborn. Sometimes translated
as “insight into the non-origination of all existence/non-origination of
the dharmas.”

A Mahayana Buddhist term
for the insight into emptiness, the non-origination or birthlessness of
things or beings realized by Bodhisattvas who have attained the eighth
Stage [Ground] of the path to Buddhahood. When a Bodhisattva realizes this
insight he has attained the stage of non-retrogression. (Ryukoku University.)

The Pure Land School teaches
that anyone reborn in the Pure Land attains the Tolerance of Non-Birth
and reaches the stage of non-retrogression, never to fall back into samsara.
See also “Non-Birth.”

Transference of Merit

The concept of merit transference,
or sharing one’s own merits and virtues with others, is reflected in the
following passage:

Some of us may ask whether
the effect of [evil] karma can be… [changed] by repeating the name of
Kuan-Yin. This question is tied up with that of rebirth in Sukhavati [the
Pure Land] and it may be answered by saying that invocation of Kuan-Yin’s
name forms another cause which will right away offset the previous karma.
We know, for example) that if there is a dark, heavy cloud above, the chances
are that it will rain. But we al50 know that if a strong wind should blow,
the cloud will be carried away somewhere else and we will not feel the
rain. Similarly, the addition of one big factor can alter the whole course
of karma

It is only by accepting the idea
of life as one whole that both Theravadins and Mahayanists can advocate
the practice of transference of merit to others. With the case of Kuan-Yin
then, by calling on Her name we identify ourselves with Her and as a result
of this identification, Her merits flow over to us. These merits which
are now ours then counterbalance our bad karma and save us from calamity.
The law of cause and effect still stands good. All that has happened is
that a powerful and immensely good karma has overshadowed the weaker one.
(Lecture on Kuan-Yin by Tech Eng Soon – Penang Buddhist Association, c.
1960. Pamphlet.)

Triloka or Trailoka

See “Threee Realms.”

Tripitaka

Lit., three baskets: The earliest
Buddhist canonical text consisting of three sections: 1. Buddha’s discourses
(sutras), 2 Rules of Discipline (Vinaya), 3. Analytical and explanatory
texts or commentaries (sastras); usually referred to as the Pali canon.

Triple Jewel

See “Three Treasures.”

Two Truths

1) Relative or conventional, everyday
truth of the mundane world subject to delusion and dichotomies and 2) the
Ultimate Truth, transcending dichotomies, as taught by the Buddhas.

According to Buddhism,
there are two kinds of Truth, the Absolute and the Relative. The Absolute
Truth (of the Void) manifests “illumination but is always still,” and this
is absolutely inexplicable. On the other hand, the Relative Truth (of the
Unreal) manifests “stillness but is always illuminating,” which means that
it is immanent in everything. (Hsu Heng Chi/P.H. Wei).

Pure Land thinkers such as the Patriarch
Tao Ch’o accepted “the legitimacy of Conventional Truth as an expression
of Ultimate Truth and as a vehicle to reach Ultimate Truth. Even though
all form is nonform, it is acceptable and necessary to use form within
the limits of causality, because its use is an expedient means of saving
others out of one’s compassion for them and because, even for the unenlightened,
the use of form can lead to the revelation of form as nonform” (David
Chappell). Thus to reach Buddhahood, which is formless, the cultivator
can practice the Pure Land method based on form.

Tzung

A term originally used to mean
“sect”, but later appropriated by the intuitional school known as
Ch’an (Japanese, Zen) for use in special contexts.

The Queen of King Bimbisara of
Magadha, India. It was in response to her entreaties that Buddha Shakyamuni
preached the Meditation Sutra, which teaches a series of sixteen visualizations
(of Amitabha Buddha, the Pure Land …) leading to rebirth. in the Land
of Ultimate Bliss.

Vaidurya

A precious substance, perhaps lapis
lazuli or beryl.

Vairocana

The main Buddha in the Avatamsaka
Sutra. Represents the Dharma Body of Buddha Shakyaniuni and all Buddhas.
His Pure Land is the Flower Store World, i.e., the entire cosmos.

Vaisravana

One of the four maharaja-deva graudians
of the first or lowest devaloka on its four sides. Vaisravana guards the
north.

Vaisya

The third of the four Hindi Castes
at the time of Shakyamuni. They were merchant, entrepreneurs, traders,
farmers, manufacturers, etc., but not well-educated.

Varuna

God of the sea and of the waters;
guardian of the western quarter of the compass.

Veda

True or sacred knowledge or lore;
name of celebrated works which constitute the basis of the first period
of the Hindu religion.

Vimalakirti Sutra

Also called Vimalakirti Nirdesa
Sutra. A key Mahayana sutra particularly popular with Zen and to a lesser
extent Pure Land followers. The main protagonist is a layman named Vimalakirti
who is the equal of many Bodhisattvas in wisdom, eloquence, etc. He explained
the teaching of Emptiness in terms of non-duality … “The true nature
of things is beyond the limiting concepts imposed by words.” Thus, when
asked by Manjusri to define the non-dual Truth, Vimalakirti simply remained
silent.

Vinaya

Disciplined conduct, referring
specifically to the monastic rules for the disciples who have left home;
also, one of the three divisions of the Buddhist scriptures.

Vipasyana

Discernment; also, insight, correct perception or view.

Virtue

See “Merit and Virtue.”

Virya: Energy

The energy necessary to maintain
and progress in spiritual development. Also, one of the Paramitas.

Visualization

See Meditation Sutra for explanation.

The visualizations [in
the Meditation Sutra] are distinguished into sixteen kinds [shifting from
earthly scenes to Pure Land scenes at the third Visualization]: (1) visualization
of the sun, (2) visualization of water, (3) visualization of the ground
[in the Pure Land], (4) visualization of the trees, (5) visualization of
the lake[s], (6) unified visualization of the
[50 billion] storied-pavilions, trees, lakes, and so forth, (7) visualization
of the [lotus throne of Amitabha Buddha], (8) visualization of the images
of the Buddha [Amitabha] and Bodhisattvas [Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta],
(9) visualization of the [Reward body of Amitabha Buddha, i.e., the form
in which He appears in the Pure Land], (10) visualization of Avalokitesvara,
(11) visualization of Mahasthamaprapta, (12) visualization of one’s own
rebirth, (13) [see below], (14) visualization of the rebirth of the highest
grades, (15) visualization of the rebirth of the middle grades and (16)
visualization of the rebirth of the lowest grades. (K.K. Tanaka, The Dawn
of Chinese Pure Land Doctrine.)

The 13th Visualization has been summarized
as follows:

If one cannot visualize
the [Reward body of Amitabha Buddha], focus on the small body, which is
sixteen cubits high (the traditional height of Shakyamuni while he dwelt
on earth); contemplate an intermingling of the [Reward] and small bodies.
(1oji Okazaki, p.52.)

Visualizations 14-16 refer to the nine
lotus grades (of rebirth), divided into three sets of three grades each.

A major school of Mahayana Buddhism,
with several branches. One of its most popular techniques is meditation
on koans, which leads to the generation of the Great Doubt. According to
this method:

The master gives the student
a koan to think about, resolve, and then report back on to the master.
Concentration intensifies as the student first tries to solve the koan
intellectually. This initial effort proves impossible, however, for a koan
cannot be solved rationally. Indeed, it is a kind of spoof on the human
intellect. Concentration and irrationality — these two elements constitute
the characteristic psychic situation that engulfs the student wrestling
with a koan. As this persistent effort to concentrate intellectually becomes
unbearable, anxiety sets in. The entirety of one’s consciousness
and psychic life is now filled with one thought. The exertion of the search
is like wrestling with a deadly enemy or trying to make one’s way through
a ring of flames. Such assaults on the fortress of human reason inevitably
give rise to a distrust of all rational perception. This gnawing
doubt [Great Doubt], combined with a futile search for a way out, creates
a state of extreme and intense yearning for deliverance. The state may
persist for days, weeks or even years; eventually the tension has to break.
(Dumoulin, Zen Buddhism, Vol. I, p.253.)

An interesting koan is the koan of
Buddha Recitation. Unlike other koans, it works in two ways. First of all,
if a cultivator succeeds in his meditation through this koan, he can achieve
awakening as with other koans. However, if he does not succeed, and experience
shows that many cultivators do not, then the meditation on the Buddha’s
narne helps him to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land. This is so provided
he believes (as most practitioners in Asia do) in Amitabha and the expedient
Pure Land. Thus, the Buddha Recitation koan provides a safety net,
and demonstrates the underlying unity of Zen and Pure Land.